JWT Amsterdam agency has created a print ad for Bic that plays with visual perception. In one image, a man appears with a beard and mustache drawn with a Bic pen, while in the second variant he is freshly shaved, with a razor as the protagonist. The trick is simple: the same face, two products, one single concept. Some point out the absence of the pen in the first photo, but that doesn't detract from the execution.
The visual mechanism behind the double ad ðŸ§
From a technical standpoint, the ad works because of the human eye's ability to complete patterns. In the first image, the pen stroke mimics facial hair, activating the viewer's visual memory. In the second, the razor rests on a clean area, suggesting the product's result. The absence of the pen in the initial scene is deliberate: it forces the viewer to relate the stroke to the tool that created it, without needing to show it. It's an exercise in graphic synthesis.
The ghost pen nobody claims 👻
Of course, there's a detail that the most meticulous won't let slide: in the first photo, there's no pen in sight. It's as if the man drew his beard with his fingers or an invisible brush. But hey, if we're going to be that picky, we could also wonder how he shaved without a mirror or shaving cream. The ad is so good that even the lack of realism seems part of the joke. After all, selling two products with a single photo is a trick that deserves applause, even if the pen is missing from the scene.