https://www.wsj.com/articles/p-g-challenges-men-to-shave-their-toxic-masculinity-in-gillette-ad-11547467200

wsj.com

P&G Challenges Men to Shave Their Toxic Masculinity in Gillette Ad

Alexandra Bruell

4-5 minutes

Gillette addresses “toxic masculinity” in a new digital ad campaign aimed at men, the latest message from an advertiser attempting to change societal norms.

The ad, dubbed “We Believe,” opens with audio of news about the current #MeToo movement. A narrator then goes on to dispute the notion that “boys will be boys,” asking, “Is this the best a man can get? Is it? We can’t hide from it. It has been going on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the same old excuses.”

The ad puts a new spin on the brand’s 30-year tagline, “The Best A Man Can Get,” challenging men to take positive actions, such as stopping other men, and the next generation, from harassing women.

The ad will be hosted on Gillette’s YouTube page with paid digital and social support.

Gillette parent Procter & Gamble Co. is among companies that in recent years have used advertising as a platform to promote their stance on social issues such as gender equality, and polarizing political topics such as immigration and gun control. P&G is perhaps best known for its lauded “Like a Girl” ad campaign for feminine-care brand Always and “Stress test” for deodorant brand Secret.

The latest ad, created by Gillette’s ad agency Grey, is among the first to address the #MeToo movement head on, and to blatantly tell men to change their behavior.

“This is an important conversation happening, and as a company that encourages men to be their best, we feel compelled to both address it and take action of our own,” said Pankaj Bhalla, Gillette brand director for North America in an emailed statement. “We are taking a realistic look at what’s happening today, and aiming to inspire change by acknowledging that the old saying ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ is not an excuse. We want to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and hope all the men we serve will come along on that journey to find our ‘best’ together.”

“It’s a risky move,” said Dean Crutchfield, CEO of branding firm Crutchfield + Partners. On one hand, it “creates a credible, believable, and upfront conversation that takes brutal honesty and tough decisions,” he said.

Gillette needs to appeal to millennials who care about what companies stand for, he said. “There’s a demand for this, for purpose, for brands to be tackling tough issues in the moment.”

But the ad could backfire and alienate Gillette’s base, Mr. Crutchfield cautioned. “Does the customer want to be told they’re a naughty boy? Are you asking too much of your consumer to be having this conversation with them?”

Brands diving into charged social issues risk turning off customers who don’t agree with their stance, don’t believe it is authentic or consider it poorly handled.

Nike ’s recent ad starring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had led player protests for racial justice during pregame national anthem ceremonies, was widely praised (though criticized by others). But a 2017 commercial in which Kendall Jenner joins a protest march and hands a Pepsi to a cop was accused of trivializing the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It’s about execution,” said Mr. Crutchfield. “Sometimes brands stretch themselves too fine and they snap.”

Write to Alexandra Bruell at alexandra.bruell@wsj.com

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37588826)

"upfront conversation that takes brutal honesty and tough decisions"

yeah, it takes a lot of guts to say something you know the media will shower you with praise for.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37588899)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu19MxFH3Qc

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37588938)

https://youtu.be/z2rIgsPlJd0

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589073)

https://youtu.be/z2rIgsPlJd0?t=61

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589084)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1XGPvbWn0A

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589100)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589143)

(fat dad runs over to separate them)

"Hey, hey... that's not how we treat each other, OK?"

it's over for shitlibs.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589328)

i'm going full distributist burn it all down

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589408)

Does any SJW think to themselves, "Wow! Powerful stuff Gillette, from now on you have my business," and, if so, does it occur to them that they are being swindled by megacorps?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589613)

Dove: You're perfect as is! https://hips.hearstapps.com/cos.h-cdn.co/assets/16/25/1600x800/landscape-1466696060-dove-campaign.jpg?resize=1200:*

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37589590)

Since then, it has been an aspirational statement, reflecting standards that many men strive to achieve.

But turn on the news today and it’s easy to believe that men are not at their best. Many find themselves at a crossroads, caught between the past and a new era of masculinity. While it is clear that changes are needed, where and how we can start to effect that change is less obvious for many. And when the changes needed seem so monumental, it can feel daunting to begin. So, let’s do it together.

It’s time we acknowledge that brands, like ours, play a role in influencing culture. And as a company that encourages men to be their best, we have a responsibility to make sure we are promoting positive, attainable, inclusive and healthy versions of what it means to be a man. With that in mind, we have spent the last few months taking a hard look at our past and coming communication and reflecting on the types of men and behaviors we want to celebrate. We’re inviting all men along this journey with us – to strive to be better, to make us better, and to help each other be better.

From today on, we pledge to actively challenge the stereotypes and expectations of what it means to be a man everywhere you see Gillette. In the ads we run, the images we publish to social media, the words we choose, and so much more.

As part of The Best Men Can Be campaign, Gillette is committing to donate $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profit organizations executing programs in the United States designed to inspire, educate and help men of all ages achieve their personal “best” and become role models for the next generation.

Our tagline needs to continue to inspire us all to be better every day, and to help create a new standard for boys to admire and for men to achieve… Because the boys of today are the men of tomorrow.

We’ve all got work to do. And it starts today.

Gillette. The Best A Man Can Get.

https://gillette.com/en-us/the-best-men-can-be

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37591373)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37592230)

Gillette has been taking drastic steps to staunch its bleeding market share in recent years. Last year, the brand cut the prices of its razors by as much as 20%. The average discount was about 12%, and many of its flagship products, like the Gillette Fusion Cartridges, were discounted.

Costco has started selling razor kits under its private-label brand, Kirkland Signature.

The kit comes with a handle and 14 blades, all for $20. It's about 24% cheaper per blade than the Gillette Mach 3 razor pack the store also sells, according to the Stifel Nicolaus analyst Mark Astrachan (via Bloomberg).

That's bad news for Gillette, which still sells the most razors in the United States but has been rapidly losing market share to upstarts like Harry's and Dollar Shave Club. Kirkland's new razors will have a "modestly negative" impact on Procter & Gamble-owned Gillette, according to Astrachan.

Gillette once claimed an estimated 70% market share in North America but is now somewhere around 50%, The Wall Street Journal reported last year, citing data from Euromonitor. Harry's and Dollar Shave Club combined for a 12.2% market share in 2016, up from 7.2% in 2015.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=4177400&forum_id=2#37592569)