"Tough Being Beautiful": How Electrolux Turned a Hob into a Cultural Icon

Only the Swedes could create a hob that’s both strikingly elegant and practically indestructible.

Electrolux’s new campaign, “Tough being Beautiful,” doesn’t just introduce an appliance—it reframes what we expect from the objects we use every day. The SaphirMatt Hob, at its core, is a masterclass in contrasts: delicate in appearance, yet built to endure the harshest use.

The storytelling is confident, but never loud. A skier slicing through snow, a fisherman braving icy waters, a lumberjack flinging an axe—each scene builds the case for a product that’s as resilient as it is refined. The axe landing on the hob isn’t gimmickry. It’s a moment of proof.

That’s what makes this campaign work: it respects the intelligence of its audience. It doesn’t shout. It shows. It doesn’t ask for trust—it earns it.

There’s a reason the final shot lingers on the glass finish, floating in a forest like a piece of sculpture. It’s not just a product demo. It’s a quiet declaration: beauty without durability is decoration. And durability without beauty is utility. The SaphirMatt Hob dares to be both.

And in doing so, Electrolux isn’t just selling a hob. They’re selling a new standard.

Campaign Title: ‘Tough being Beautiful’

Publicis London

CCO: Noel Bunting

CREATIVE DIRECTORS: Matt Comras and Tom Dixon

HEAD OF DESIGN: Ryan Connolly

DESIGNER: Ere Lozano

HEAD OF STRATEGY: Katie Hibbard

SENIOR STRATEGIST: Joe Percy

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER: Trent Patterson

GROUP BUSINESS DIRECTOR: Josh Norris

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER: Emma Tacon

PRODUCER: Daisy Bambridge

PROJECT MANAGER: Tania Pinheiro

DIRECTOR: Tore Fransden

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Stephanie Walton / New Land

PRODUCER: Caroline Sandberg / New Land

PHOTOGRAPHER: Amanda Gylling

STILLS PRODUCER: Julianne Honea / Bad Land

OFFLINE EDITOR: Andreas Arvidson

POST SUPERVISOR: Sheldon Gardner / Time Based Arts

POST PRODUCER: Lily Barron/ Time Based Arts

AUDIO: 750 MPH

MUSIC: 20Below

Electrolux

GROUP CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: Nikos Bartzoulianos

HEAD OF BRAND CONTENT: Betsy Salas

HEAD OF MARKETING, COMMUNICATION STRATEGY & PLANNING: Lina Öhling

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: John Tonkes

MARKETING OPERATIONS MANAGER: Paulina Kozlowska

CLIENT PRODUCER: Sandra Fohlin