Rock Face Rallies Men to 'The Great Unwashed' at Reading & Leeds
Updated: Sep 1
TL;DR: Men's deodorant brand Rock Face launched its first multichannel campaign, 'The Great Unwashed', urging festival-goers to skip shower queues thanks to a new 72-hour antiperspirant — a cheeky, behaviour-led stunt engineered for social sharing.
A challenger brand leans into real behaviour
Rock Face, a men's deodorant brand, has launched its first multichannel campaign, The Great Unwashed, created by agency Unbound with influencer support from Lasting Lemons. The idea encourages festival-goers at Reading & Leeds to embrace not showering — conveniently, thanks to the brand's new 72-hour antiperspirant.
The activation includes a Change.org petition and an open letter to Festival Republic, alongside out-of-home, paid social, influencer content and CRM. Fronted by CEO James Wilkinson, it's built as much for shareable spectacle as for product messaging.
Why behaviour-led beats product-led
Creative partner Austin Hamilton put the strategy neatly: "We're jumping on behaviour that already exists." That's the engine of the campaign. Festival-goers already skip showers; Rock Face simply gives that behaviour a name, a cause and a product that makes it defensible.
Petition mechanics are a smart earned-media device. They invite participation, create a mild sense of mischief, and give journalists and social users a reason to talk — all without the cost of heavy paid distribution.
Marketing Minute's read: give a habit permission
Our take: the strongest challenger-brand campaigns don't try to change behaviour — they give existing behaviour permission and a product rationale. Rock Face isn't persuading anyone to do something new; it's endorsing what its audience already does and attaching the brand to that moment.
The festival context does double duty: a high-density audience of exactly the right people, in a naturally social environment where the stunt is likely to spread organically. The media plan effectively piggybacks on the event's own reach.
What businesses should take from it
Before spending budget to create new behaviour, look for an existing one you can champion. Naming and legitimising a habit is far cheaper — and more credible — than manufacturing demand from scratch.
Build participation into the idea. A petition, a challenge or a shareable badge of belonging turns your audience into distribution. The best challenger campaigns are structured to be spread, not just seen.
Quick FAQ
What is Rock Face's 'The Great Unwashed' campaign?
It's Rock Face's first multichannel campaign, by agency Unbound, urging Reading & Leeds festival-goers to skip shower queues thanks to its new 72-hour antiperspirant, complete with a Change.org petition and open letter to Festival Republic.
Who created the campaign?
Creative agency Unbound led it, with influencer activation from Lasting Lemons, fronted by Rock Face CEO James Wilkinson.
Why target festivals?
Festivals concentrate exactly the right audience in a naturally social setting where a mischievous stunt spreads organically — and the shower-skipping behaviour Rock Face champions already happens there.
The best challenger marketing rarely changes behaviour — it gives existing behaviour permission. Rock Face didn't invent shower-skipping at festivals; it named it, backed it with a petition and a product, and turned a habit its audience already had into brand territory. That's how small brands get talked about. — Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing
Don't pay to create new behaviour when you can champion one your audience already has — naming a habit is cheaper than manufacturing demand.
What existing customer behaviour could your brand give permission to?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: LBBOnline, Decision Marketing.
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Written by Daniel Nikolla, Founder of Merx Marketing Ltd and Marketing Minute
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