Hai Karate and Brut were two of the biggest names in men’s aftershave in the late ’60s and ’70s, and their memorable advertising helped make both household names. When it came to winning over men at the fragrance counter, it was karate chops versus Brut force. Fabergé introduced Brut in 1964. Three years later, Pfizer’s Leeming division launched Hai Karate, setting up a battle between two green-bottled aftershaves with very different advertising styles. Hai Karate went for laughs, with commercials showing women supposedly so attracted to the wearer that he had to fend them off with karate moves. Brut built its image around sports stars, particularly after the introduction of its Brut 33 line. British heavyweight boxer Henry Cooper became famous for telling men to “splash it all over,” while English football star Kevin Keegan and motorcycle racing world champion Barry Sheene also appeared in Brut 33 campaigns. One promised irresistible attraction; the other put famous athletes behind that unmistakable green bottle.
