KING OF SHAVES AZOR CAMPAIGN BATTLEBUS

KMI have launched the first British designed, engineered and manufactured razor in over 100 years. The King of Shaves Azor Hybrid Synergy System Razor is the brainchild of Will King, the man behind the hugely successful King of Shaves 'software' brand. The new razor 'hardware' promises to shave closer, last longer and cost less, as well as being much more planet friendly than its competitors.

Elegant in its simplicity, and engineered without compromise, the Azor is available in two styles, 'Pola' (white and black) and 'Warp' (black and white). The Azor's key features include an internationally patented TST (Touch Skin Technology) elastomer skin bumper and pivot system, which pushes the blades progressively closer onto the skin for a superbly comfortable yet close shave, a unique wishbone shaped head design providing greater visibility when shaving, and a light, beautifully engineered handle which is aesthetically pleasing as well as being ergonomically optimised for performance.

The Azor's revolutionary technology is also matched with the King of Shaves long-standing commitment to the environment. Often battery powered, many system razors are made from metal, are highly energy consumptive in manufacturing, and flagrantly over-packaged, whereas the handle for the Azor is made in the UK, and all packaging (for handle and cartridge refills) has already been recycled, or is 100% recyclable.

King of Shaves is bringing the Azor to UK shavers with a 'Fair Shave' Campaign BattleBus, touring the UK throughout this summer.

Availability:
The Azor is available nationwide from Boots (from 21st July 2008), Sainsbury's and online from www.kmishop.com.

Pricing:
• King of Shaves Azor in 'Pola' or 'Warp' styles with three cartridges: RRP £4.99
• 4 Azor Endurium replacement cartridges: RRP £4.99
• 8 Azor Endurium replacement cartridges: RRP £9.49

Hi there, firstly very pleased with this review, hopefully 'mostlythis' can make it to Canary Wharf next Friday for our 'To Baldly Go' promotion with Johnny & Denise and the Capital 95.8FM Breakfast Team.

In fact we were in the Capital studios this morning, see the pics, and with the Azor launching at Boots flagship store on Oxford Street (opposite Debenhams) on Monday, we've got a lot going on next week, including interviews all day Tuesday, and taking the Amazor 'battlebus' to Lowestoft Airshow on Thursday.

A busy, busy week. If you want to keep up to date, check out our new Azor Campaign BattleBus blog here (thanks simon).

Well, that was a VERY busy day!

Courtesy my fab press & media relations team, I started early and I had a full schedule of radio interviews, my UK TV debut on CNN International, an unexpected slot on the highly rated (with 4m listeners) BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show, and later tonight, will be phoning into Radio 5 Live, where Diane, our 'Queen of Shaves' is carrying out one of her fantastic shaves.

Many thanks to:

Jack at Southern FM, Graham at BBC Radio Scotland, Nichola at Orchard FM, Dale at Touch FM, Leighton at Swansea Sound and Billy at BBC Radio Merseyside (glad you enjoyed the Tall Ships and the Open Billy).

And respect to Rachel Horne on Radio 2 Drivetime...big up the BBC. Well done all at TRC who looked after me all day too.

Tomorrow I'm off to do an interview with Radio Suffolk in Ipswich, then driving down to the 'toft where I'll be reunited with the King of Shaves amAzor campaign battlebus, for a day of shaving and guitar playing at the Lowestoft Airshow... phew!

The King of Shaves Azor Battlebus rocked up to the Sheffield Motor Show at Meadowhall with some big stars in tow. Shelley Rudman, Silver Olympic Medallist who is sponsored by King of Shaves up to the Winter Olympics in Ontario in 2010 was on the stand being interviewed by our MC, Phil Brown, and spoke of the challenges of the Bob Skeleton and what the lead up to the next winter Olympic Games was gong to be like.

In the background wheels were spinning as the stunt drivers at the Motor Show thrilled the crowds with amAzoring feats of daring and skill. As you can see from the images there were endless "close shaves" as the crowd watched in awe at the abilities of the riders.

Sheffield has also given us the Highest Score in the Azor Guitar Challenge... a total of 121,823 points on the Guitar Hero III on the Wii. Each days high score on the tour will win a Guitar Hero game for the Wii and today's lucky winner Luke had the pleasure of being awarded his prize by our two professional barberesses, Shelly and Diane. As you can see from the picture he fitted the bill of a "cosmic rocker" and sets the standards for others to follow.

If his high score is not beaten on the UK Tour then he will also win the $2,000 US King of Shaves remote control replica of the Class 1 Powerboat capable of 45 mph ... so if you want to topple Luke's score get down to the bus on one of the advertised dates and step up to the plate and show us how you can "rock the bus".

Sheffield saw another firs ... Diane our International QoS (Queen of Shaves) performed a close shave on our first disabled customer... who was able to access the shaving emporium on the ramp at teh side of the stage. The gentlemen commented that it was the first wet shave he had for 40 years as his disability has left without the proper use of one arm... his glee was apparent as he left the stage... and claimed that razor technology has come on a long way since he remembers the last time a razor touched his face.

So thanks Sheffield for such an amAzoring welcome... and look out Finsbury Square and Canary Wharf we are on our way next week. 

If you were one of the nearly 300 men or women who came down to Canary Wharf last Friday to support Help a London Child and celebrate the launch of the new King of Shaves Azor then read on...Johnny and the gang will announcing live on the Capital Breakfast Show this Monday between 6am and 9am  the winner of the fabulous holiday to Mauritius curtesy of King of Shaves. So if you were one of the special crew who dared to Baldly Go, don't forget to listen in with your fingers crossed that you could be jetting off for a luxury holiday to Mauritius..and just think, there will be no need to pack any shampoo or a comb!! Good luck to you all....

The storm clouds gathered in Birmingham City Centre but it did not deter the 40 or so players of the Azor Footie challenge and the people queuing to play the Azor Guitar as the Azor Roadshow rocked into town.

People streamed to the bus all day to get a free shave, sample the delights of the Azor and take a few lessons from our professional shavers !!!

One Primary School Teacher, Mohammed Moheen from Shawhill Primary School, took advantage of the chance to have a shave with the Azor but first we had to deal with his beard.... what follows is the before ... during ... and after sequence of Mohammed's close shave ....

When asked how he thought the Azor had performed against "other" razors, Mohammed said that it... "Glides with the contours of your face... and clearly shaves you closer..."

Why don't you come down to the bus and experience the Azor-difference for yourself...!?!

The day also saw the first pair of "Rock Chics" that we have seen take up the Azor Guitar Challenge and they battled it out on stage to the delight of the crowd. The high score of the day currently sits at just over 209,000 if you live in Birmingham and you think you can beat the total then get down to the bus before 17.30 hrs and you stand to win a luxury Ted Baker Gift Set and an Azor goody bag courtesy of King of Shaves.

BIRMINGHAM ROCKS WITH THE KING OF SHAVES

Mark Sproston... AKA 'The Shaving Doctor'... from www.shaveschool.com is a legendary male grooming guru who has taken the traditional wet shave and given it a modern twist. At The Shave School they train for the hair and beauty industry and he had this to say to the people of Birmingham when he visited as part of the King of Shaves Azor Battle Bus Fair Shave Tour... helping to "Shave the World".

Mark advises:
Preparation is the key... King of Shaves pre-shave products help to ensure the smoothest of shaves and when used prior to a King of Shaves Shave Oil or Gel they mean that the Azor literally glides over your face giving you an incredibly close shave. The Azor is so flexible that it follows the contours of the face and gives you a comfortable shave as well. Afterwards be sure to moisturise your face (or use a post-shave balm or gel).

Many men suffer badly from razor burn but the combination of the King of Shaves shaving products and the new Azor makes that a thing of the past!

"I have seen a major difference in the quality of shaving since the Azor was introduced", said the Doc. "I have never seen people take to a product so easily - traditional razors tend to leave redness but this one doesn't!"

1 in 2 of men who shave suffer some discomfort but if they use the right preparation, the Azor and most importantly a King of Shaves or XCD Moisturiser afterwards, the experience would be completely different. It is a little known fact that men need to moisturise more than women as each shave can take as much as two layers off the surface of the skin!

Those who benefited from the Doc's Words of Wisdom were clearly impressed as you can see from Mohammed's shave sequence earlier on this blog.

For more information and the complete shaving experience why not come down to the Azor BattleBus as it tours the UK... new venues to be announced shortly...

The Trafford Centre in Manchester got a bit of a shock today as Beanius, the rock band supporting the Azor Tour of the UK rocked up to play 3 stunning sets under the mantle of the Entrance to the Great Hall. Fans had travlled from as far afield as the Isle of Wight to watch the band perform and locals gravitated to the bus to hear them play.

The band is lead by Matthew Bean who plays lead Guitar and their musical careers have received an unexpected boost from the King of Shaves. Will King ( Founder ) spotted their raw tallent and decided to give them a break - playing at the launch of the Azor and to KoS staff on the inagural gig of the UK amAzorbus Tour ....

The lead singer Scott Evanson gave it heaps on vocals ... blazing an amazing rendition of the John Tracey song ... Folly of Five ... the lyrics of which riducle the madness of superfluous blades and virbating handles of the competitors to the new Azor ...

The drummer, Doug Bean, played a blistering set ... and had the crowd screaming for more as he thrashed the beat out on some of the bands less known numbers ...

The bands fourth member, John Scott, played out of his skin with some awesom riffs on the mega bass guitar ( bought for a steal on e-bay ). His moves caught the attention of some of the ladies in the crowd ... was that the signing of autographs I saw after the last set.

The set ended with the band at full tilt and the sound echoing through the shopping malls of the Trafford Centre .... there could be no doubt that the Azor Tour was in town. You will be able to see more of the set in video form on the Beanius Website later in the week ... go to http://beanius.co.uk/ and get a feel for what you were missing !!

Even Ronnie the Tour Manager for the King of Shaves Tour was seen knocking out some radical beats in the interval between sets ... there was a perid where he and Phil Brown ( MC ) broke out into a rap thing that had people dazzed in the streets ....

At times the crowds gathered but nobody expected the proceedings to be overlooked by the angelic realms ... seen here atop the Amazorbus ....

They were not the only ones to be commenting on the new Azor ... the Lions posted to guard the bus at night were also uttering the Azor word by the end of the day ....

Finally the Azorbus was graced by the presence of Shelley Rudman for the second time in the Tour. Shelley won the Olympic Silever medal at the last Winter Olympics in the Bob Skeleton ( one man bob-sleigh ) and is sponsored by King of Shaves up to the next Winter Olympics which is in Vancouver in 2010. Shelley was interviewed by MC Phil Brown and answered questions about her campaign ... she was even seen demonstrating some of her moves on the stage ... but with out the benefit of snow ...

The Beanius gig and having Shelley visit us in Manchester was a really high note on which to end the initial phase of the King of Shaves Azor Tour ... we have one more day here in Manchester and then it's back down south to await the next chapter in the story that is the King of Shaves Battlebus Tour .... SHAVING THE WORLD !!

Early showers did not dampen enthusiasm for the King of Shaves Azor at the Machester Trafford Centre today. Our first recruit for the attentions of the Shave Doctor was Gary, who wanted you all to know that the love bite on his neck was nothing to do with his shaving experience at the King of Shaves Battlebus !!

In fact he was treated to a masterful shave by Mark, the Shave Doctor, who runs www.shaveschool.com when he isn't assisting with the Tour.

He finished the experience beneath a hot towel and with some King of Shaves moisturiser proving that shave preparation and after shave care is an important part of a good shaving experience.

The other activities continued with endless people coming up to try their hand at the Wii Azor Guitar Challenge

And there was no shortage of takers for the Azor Footbal Game ....

So despite the early portents ... the last day of this phase of the Amazorbus Tour was a scorcher ... thanks to all those who have supported us along the way.

There is a new pretender to the Azor Guitar Challenge Throne .... Abbie the newly crowned "Queen of Rock" scorched to an impressive 250,275 points on the Azor Guitar Hero Challenge outside the Trafford Centre here in Manchester much to the thrill of the crowd - she beat a large number of old cosmic rockers to the throne of the King of Shaves guitar hero hall of fame ( including me ) and had her name etched onto the high score-board for all time. Congrats from the Azor Team ... it was great to go out on a high note here in Manchester.

For those of you who met the amAzor team at Manchester, and heard the debut gigs of Beanius, I hope you enjoyed the experience - and for those of you that have (yet) to experience our awesome Wii 'Guitar Hero - Legends of Rock "experience in Glasgow (and other Scottish locations) more details will be forthcoming.

But for those of you who are a little further afield, be sure to bookmark www.KingofAirGuitar.com - the next (almost legendary) game coming soon from King of Shaves, the shaving brand that has struck a resonant note with the British shaving public with it's Azor launch just a couple of months ago...

After all, "If you wanna be a Rock Star, gotta shave like a King"...

Our new Hybrid Synergy System Razor, the King of Shaves Azor has been highly rated by the top UK consumer magazine Which? - they have "rated it highly" and say it's "cheaper than the Best Buy Gillette Mach3 Turbo.

The Times City Diary (published 11 September 2008) has noted:

Supermarket sweep, but with a difference
Skulduggery in the supermarket aisles? Will King is an entrepreneur trying to break into the shaving market with his King of Shaves company, formed in the 1990s. While at his local supermarket, he found that someone seemed to have removed his Azor brand from the racks. He posted this on his blog and customers wrote in with their own experiences. One found that someone had gone to the trouble of turning all the product around so that no one could see the name. A former employee of a competitor claimed by e-mail that this was standard practice in the industry. King is asking customers for further sightings. It's a jungle out there, I tell you.

So if you have noticed anything like this, please take a pic on your mobile phone and email it to us with the store details and the date.

Starting tomorrow (Friday 3rd Oct) the King of Shaves Azor roadshow will be touring Boots stores across the South East offering live shaving, hot towel treatments, free samples, competitions and more.

Bromley (Blade Shopping Centre) 03/04 Oct
Brent Cross 05-Oct
Watford (Harlequin Centre) 07-Oct
Kensington High Street 08-Oct
Kingston City Centre 09-Oct
Croydon (Whitgift Centre) 10/11 Oct
Lakeside 12-Oct
*Liverpool St Station 13-Oct
Bluewater 14-Oct
*Oxford Street (Sedley Place nr Bond St Tube) 15-Oct

Follow the progress of this and the Scotland and Northern England tour here!

Thanks Stewart for being our guest Blogger for today! Look out for more Guest Bloggers, or as we refer to them VIB's (Very Important Bloggers) over the weekend.The Azor bus arrived in Glasgow last night and we are located at The Fort shopping centre which is awsome! What a welcome we have received with plenty of Glaswegians  waiting to receive their free Azor shave and sample. They know a good deal when they see one around these parts!The guys here at Boots The Fort have done us proud with lots of posters and sales displays - great job guys. I know you will all call me a southern softie, but I tell you its a wee bit cold here in Scotland. We are here until 7pm tonight so come on down - we would love to see you, and if you can't because you are working, then make some time on Saturday to visit us at Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow City Centre. And remember don't shave....we will do that for you, when you come to the Azor battle bus!

Today we were helping the men who passed by Boots in Watford to a better shave with the Azor and King of Shaves shaving software. We handing out free samples and loads of great advice on our 'grooming tour' as well as free shaves and more!

My sincere apologies to everyone who has tried to register for one of 4,000 free Azors via the Live Magazine feature in today's Mail on Sunday. Whilst the text mechanic works, the web demand appears to have crashed our server, resulting in only a Terms & Conditions page being displayed.

If you saw the feature, and would like to request to be entered into a draw for a free Azor, please email care@shave.com quoting Live Magazine Azor offer.

Thanks,

Will