What are Tabac Original and Sylvie Meis doing together in the bath?
Heaps of bubbles, a wanton look in her eye – and a statement that nobody’s going to forget in a hurry. TV celebrity and entrepreneur Sylvie Meis is the star of men’s fragrance and shaving line Tabac Original’s new digital campaign. With witty online spots, this time-honoured brand not only celebrates its great retail success; it is also proving that, even after 65 years of brand history, it can still provide plenty to talk about with the new testimonial. RTL Exclusiv reported directly from the set of the Caution creative agency even before the first spot was officially released.
When bubbles say more than a thousand words
The campaign video shows a bathroom tiled in red, a feminine sihouette, one bare leg peaking out of the bath – and finally Sylvie Meis herself, covered only by a heap of bubbles. Gazing flirtingly into the camera, she says, “We shave too – just in different places”. A performance that deliberately teases expectations and opens the stage for a whole series of further videos featuring Sylvie, which will be aired online over the next 12 months. “It’s one of the most daring campaigns I’ve ever done, because it plays with the illusion of nudity,” explains Sylvie Meis. “I’m delighted to be the face of a brand that has stood for authenticity, masculinity and iconic body-care for decades. I’ve been a huge fan of both the products and the people behind the Tabac original brand from the very start.” As well as the content shown on Tabac Original’s channels, Sylvie Meis also publishes her own posts about the campaign on her Instagram account.
Activation on several channels
The advertising partnership was announced gradually: a teaser was posted on the @tabacfragrances Instagram channel back on 28 August 2025 but without showing Sylvie Meis herself. She was interviewed for the first time as the new promotional face of Tabac Original in a feature on RTL Exclusiv on 29 August, in which she talked about her shaving and grooming preferences when it comes to men. Shortly afterwards, the main video appeared as a partner post on the Instagram channels of both Tabac and @sylviemeis, to impressive acclaim. Posts on the Tabac Fragrances channels and Sylvie Meis’ Instagram account will now follow successively well into 2026, including on seasonal occasions such as Black Friday and Father’s Day. And the collaboration will also be featured on the products too: starting now, Tabac Original After Shave Lotions ordered in the brand’s online shop will be delivered with a slipcase signed by Sylvie Meis around the outer packaging. With a bit of luck, a hand-signed flacon might even find its way into your bathroom when you order.
Self-confident, humourous, in touch with the target group
Stephan Kemen, Managing Director of Mäurer & Wirtz commented on the campaign: “If you always deliver the expected, you miss the opportunity for real relevance. With Sylvie Meis, we show that Tabac is more than just the cliché of a man with designer stubble – it’s a brand with courage and humour.”
Creative implementation comes from Caution, the Aachen-based agency that has been responsible for the communication of 4711 and Tabac for many years. Ralf Liess, CEO and Creative Director at Caution says, “Who would have thought that Sylvie Meis would show how important men’s grooming is? It’s exactly this incongruity that makes the campaign so exciting. Go shave! And do it with Tabac Original.”
A brand with history and a future
Tabac original was introduced in 1959 and has since made a name for itself as the epitome of austere masculinity, spicy-fresh elegance and iconic shaving care. Since its launch, the famous After Shave Lotion has sold over 90 million times. Today, Tabac Original is the best-selling range in the lifestyle fragrance market (as of YTD July 2025). Impressive testament to the brand’s appeal. With the current campaign, Tabac proves that legends don’t stay stuck in the past, but rather can still set trends today, with self-irony and aplomb. Back in 2023, the collaboration with Sophia Thomalla and the slogan “Für echte Männer:innen” (for real (fe)males) caused a considerable media stir. Tabac continues on this path with Sylvie Meis. Courageous, modern and with a clear goal: to surprise the core male target group between the ages of 35 and 65 with entertaining content via digital channels, to focus on men’s grooming and win them over to the Tabac Original brand.
More information at www.tabac.de, on Facebook and Instagram #tabacfragrances
