Whilst male beauty products and classic novels might not appear to be perfect bedfellows on paper, the award winning Bulldog Skincare For Men brand have put together a genuinely unique gift concept that brings together the worlds of skincare and literature in a surprisingly natural way. The brand, which creates skincare products purpose-built for men using natural ingredients, recently announced a collaboration with Penguin Books and Waitrose to celebrate Father's Day, which calls this year on Sunday June 21. From June 10 onwards, for just £5 RRP exclusively at Waitrose stores, Bulldog will be launching their “Classic Reads” gift sets, which include not only one of four Bulldog skincare products, but one of four classic novels, which have been carefully selected to compliment one another.
Bulldog Skincare For Men have put together a genuinely unique gift concept that brings together the worlds of skincare and literature
The limited edition packs celebrate four of Penguin's most treasured titles: The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson), and The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The books have also been given a distinctly minimalist Swiss style redesign by Bulldog's in-house design team, each of which match the colour scheme and general aesthetic of the Bulldog brand. The designs take inspiration from the stories themselves, with brown circular hoops representing Sherlock Holmes’ magnifying glass and a split page colour representing the notorious split personality conflict between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. An hourglass signifies the passage of time in The Time Machine, whilst circles represent distant planets in War of the Worlds.
The limited edition packs celebrate four of Penguin's most treasured titles, with designs taking inspiration from the stories themselves
Bulldog designer Chris Falkner said: “It’s one of graphic design’s holy grails to create a cover for a Penguin Classics title, let alone a limited edition set. Drawing inspiration from Swiss design, and conventions from Bulldog’s own brand aesthetic, the covers all feature elements lifted from the pages of the books. Sherlock Holmes’ loupe along with an hour-glass symbolic of The Time Machine are obvious visual links. More subtly the two-coloured division of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the view of Earth from Mars, influenced from The War of the Worlds make up the striking designs hinting at the books’ topics.”
Speaking about the collaboration, Bulldog founder Simon Duffy, adds: “The Classic Reads Father’s Day campaign is a very exciting promotion for Bulldog and we are delighted to be partnering with Penguin Books. We agree with Groucho Marx’s assertion that outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend, but there is a wealth of timeless classics that we all wished we owned, or perhaps never got around to reading. We hope that every dad who receives one of these fantastic gift sets will enjoy the skincare benefits of Bulldog products and a well deserved chance to rediscover a great selection of Penguin Classics.” Sam Voulters, Penguin Classics Brand Manager, also added: “In our 80th anniversary year, we’re delighted to be partnering with another great British brand to reach new audiences for these iconic works of literature.”
