The recent news about Dollar Shave Club forming their own ad agency called “Order of the Blade” to handle their new campaign creative work represents a growing trend I’ve been watching closely in the marketing world. This move signals something important about how brands are rethinking their approach to creative control and marketing efficiency.
I believe this shift toward in-house agencies makes perfect sense in today’s marketing landscape. When brands bring creative work in-house, they gain direct control over their messaging, brand voice, and creative direction. Dollar Shave Club has always been known for its distinctive, irreverent tone, and by forming Order of the Blade, they’re ensuring that voice remains consistent and authentic.
The Benefits Go Beyond Creative Control
Creating an in-house agency offers several advantages that traditional agency relationships simply can’t match:
- Deeper brand knowledge and institutional memory
- Faster turnaround times on creative projects
- Cost efficiencies through reduced agency fees
- More direct collaboration between marketing and creative teams
These benefits add up to more than just convenience – they create a strategic advantage. When creative teams work exclusively on one brand, they develop an intimate understanding of that brand’s values, audience, and goals that outside agencies struggle to match.
A Growing Movement
Dollar Shave Club isn’t alone in this approach. Many forward-thinking brands have been building robust in-house capabilities. Companies like Chobani with their “Chobani Food Creation Studio” and Spotify with “Spotify Creative Studio” have demonstrated that bringing creative work in-house can lead to more authentic, effective campaigns.
What makes this trend particularly interesting is how it challenges the traditional agency model. For decades, brands relied on external agencies for creative work, but that relationship has been strained by budget pressures, communication challenges, and the need for faster content production cycles.
The old agency model simply wasn’t built for the speed and volume of content that modern marketing demands.
Not Without Challenges
Building an in-house agency isn’t without difficulties. Brands face several hurdles when bringing creative work in-house:
- Recruiting top creative talent away from agencies
- Maintaining creative freshness and avoiding “echo chamber” thinking
- Building the right infrastructure and workflows
- Managing creative capacity during campaign peaks
These challenges explain why some brands opt for a hybrid approach, maintaining their in-house team while still partnering with outside agencies for specific projects or fresh perspectives.
The Order of the Blade represents Dollar Shave Club’s commitment to maintaining their distinctive creative voice while gaining the efficiency benefits of an in-house team.
The Future of Brand-Agency Relationships
I predict we’ll see more brands following Dollar Shave Club’s example in the coming years. The economics and creative control benefits are too compelling to ignore. However, this doesn’t mean the death of traditional agencies – it means evolution.
Smart agencies are already adapting by offering more specialized services, embedding teams within client organizations, and focusing on strategic partnerships rather than just execution.
For brands considering this path, the key is understanding your specific needs. Do you have a distinctive voice that needs consistent nurturing? Do you produce high volumes of content across multiple channels? Is creative agility critical to your marketing strategy? If you answered yes to these questions, an in-house agency might be worth exploring.
Dollar Shave Club’s Order of the Blade represents a smart strategic move that aligns with their brand identity and marketing needs. As more brands recognize the benefits of bringing creative work in-house, we’ll likely see this trend accelerate across industries.
