Recognizing the growing trend toward body shaving and creating clean, bald looks, Gillette has smartly expanded its representation of what it means to be well-groomed. However, it is somehow disappointing that the brand seems to have also dropped some of its commitments to encouraging a positive take on masculine achievement. Losing the negative focus on the bad sides of masculinity seems smart. It also took on a digital life of its own with a TikTok sing-along (below) and a “behind the scenes” making of YouTube film.
Gillette looks to top youtube ads challenge toxic masculinity and boost the confidence of boys and men through this clever play on its ever-famous “The Best a Man Can Get” slogan. Despite a Twitter call to boycott the company, Nike’s stance was respected by most of its customers. Dads, or any male guardians, are hugely influential on children and young adults’ understanding of the world.
Yes, the backlash was swift; some consumers boycotted the company. But in a crowded ecosystem of overexposed, underwhelming content, unease can be a kind of differentiation. There are many brands that use social messaging to appear woke and socially conscious, but Gillette actually went in wholeheartedly with a purpose-driven marketing approach. And such candor is rare to witness, especially in the realm of commercial storytelling, and serves as a core example of purpose-driven marketing today.
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You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. The right message is likely to be the winning message in the long run—even if they face backlash now, they will be remembered as coming down on the right side of history. Instead, they are suggesting that real male strength is demonstrated in honorable behavior. Fathers need to model respect for women and they need to keep eyes on their sons to make sure they are demonstrating respect for women.
And that — not likes, not shares, not sales spikes — is what brand leadership looks like in an era where purpose must be proven, not performed. It reclaimed a tagline that was born out of seeking external validation and directed it inward. Gillette’s “The Best Men Can Be” is still controversial years later — and that’s what makes it work. Many brands that want to participate in social conversations are afraid of backlash.
Never shaving with Gillette again. But if you click over to the YouTube page where the video lives, the comments are over-the-top negative. Gillette has debuted a new campaign, “The Best Men Can Be,” with a minute and a half video that’s getting props and criticism. Help us share this message about the importance of being an Upstander. We don’t need politics with our shave gel.
Modern marketing is reshaping the definition of brand purpose.
In short, if the ad ends up hurting the company’s sales, you can bet it will be pulled regardless of its positive underlying message. And I don’t need Gillette or any other corporations telling me what to do in their pursuit of higher profits. Now, I know that the cosmetics industry has traditionally inundated women with ads suggesting that they are inadequate and in need of betterment, usually regarding their physical appearance. Second, as much as I don’t like them, I have grown accustomed to ads that portray men as stereotypical “lovable, clueless oafs or the alpha male who gets the girl.”
By developing this buyer persona, Gillette gained a deeper understanding of its target audience for the campaign, allowing the company to create messaging and content that resonated with John’s values, aspirations, and challenges. The ad concludes with the tagline, “The best a man can get,” which is a play on Gillette’s longstanding slogan, “The best a man can get.” Time will ultimately tell — when customers flock to or abandon these products — whether this approach was successful in capturing the zeitgeist and reflecting important values/emotions to companies’ customer bases. We have the power to decide whether Gillette’s strategy will succeed; so far, by all accounts, most people don’t really have a problem with it. I don’t really care so much that the corporation’s intent is to cash in; that’s kind of the purpose of a corporation. The tagline “The Best Men Can Be” was a play on Gillette’s long-standing slogan, “The Best a Man Can Get.” It aimed to challenge men to do better in terms of respect, kindness, and integrity.
And surely we can agree that’s a good thing? Let’s face it — they have the money, the reach, the eyeballs, to get a message out to millions, if not billions, of people; wouldn’t we rather they use that airtime to promote social justice than, say, tell us how sharp their razors are? Call me a consequentialist, but if people watch this video and think more or differently about masculinity, even for a second, it’s a net positive for me. To me, it’s not meant to be about women’s problems; toxic masculinity isn’t only about the ways men interact with women, but also about how men interact with each other. And while I don’t necessarily disagree with any of it, I’m not as worked up.
The Campaign Concept: From Tagline to Transformation
The $3 million commitment created reflected in the measurable social impact. P&G CFO Jon Moeller reported sales were “in-line with pre-campaign levels”. These campaigns demonstrated Gillette’s original and genuine commitment to progressive masculinity that works beyond the initial moment of going viral. “First Shave” of 2019 featured transgender teen Samson Bonkeabantu Brown in his first shaving experience. Scott Galloway of NYU Stern called it “authentic brand activism” that would pay long-term dividends.
A framework for comprehending the needs, preferences, and motivations of the target audience was established by these personas, enabling Gillette to adjust its marketing efforts and messaging accordingly. Data indicates that millennials are inclined to spend more on brands that embody their core beliefs and favor companies that share their values. Could it be that the true intent of this advertisement is to make women feel positive about the brand and its products, considering that even though men use the product, women often make household purchasing decisions?
Demonstrating emotion in public signifies inner strength. More Irish men should do it
Since its introduction of the tagline „The Best a Man Can Get“ in 1989, Gillette has secured its position in the men’s grooming market. Rather, it depicted instances of bullying, harassment, gender stereotypes, along with uplifting role models. Brands are being held to a higher standard by younger consumers, who seek not just products but also values.
However, by February, the net favorability for Gillette, calculated as the percentage of favorable responses minus the unfavorable ones, had dropped by 10 points to reach 58 percent. Despite a nearly two-to-one ratio of negative responses to positive ones on YouTube as of September (1.5 million versus 802,000) from a total of 32.4 million views, the initial adverse social media feedback gradually became more favorable. According to the marketing intelligence company BrandTotal, social media sentiment immediately following the ad was predominantly negative, with a margin of 63 percent to 8 percent, while the social listening firm Converseon reported a more balanced negative-positive ratio of 45 percent to 34 percent. The advertisement coincided with the launch of Gillette’s TheBestMenCanBe.org, a platform that honors “men who are advocates, mentors, and leaders in their communities, showcasing what it truly means to be a great man, every day,” supported by an annual commitment exceeding $1 million for three years to organizations that assist men in achieving their “personal best.” Following this, various men, including Crews, rose to advocate for improved behavior.