I remember seeing an add for some electric pre-shave treatment that is supposed to stand hairs up... Does anyone remember this/know if it works?

You're probably thinking of Williams Lectric Shave - "Stands whiskers up stiff, to help your razor shave shockingly close." I've never tried it but it's still out there, I see their commercials occasionally. Amazon has it for $5.32 but you could probably get it anywhere...