Gillette, the leader in shaving products, has launched an ad campaign that changes the 30-year-old tagline of the company ‘The best a man can get’ to ‘The best a man can be’. It appeals to shun misconducts such as sexual harassment, sexism, workplace harassment, bullying and harassment shown in films. Each of the short clip shown in the ad is justified with a casual “Boys will be boys” excuse, while exhorting men to be the change and set the right example.
“Boys will be boys”? Isn’t it time we stopped excusing bad behavior? Re-think and take action by joining us at https://t.co/giHuGDEvlT. #TheBestMenCanBe pic.twitter.com/hhBL1XjFVo
— Gillette (@Gillette) January 14, 2019
The video has garnered 3.8 million views and Twitter exploded with mixed reactions. While some have welcomed it as the right step towards taking matters into their own hands and addressing the right issues, some have criticized it, saying it is fueling recent controversies such as the #MeToo campaign.
Daughter of the late civil rights legend Martin Luther King, Bernice King wrote, “This commercial isn’t anti-male. It’s pro-humanity”.
The comments under the @Gillette toxic masculinity ad is a living document of how desperately society needs things like the Gillette toxic masculinity ad.
Seriously: if your masculinity is THAT threatened by an ad that says we should be nicer then you’re doing masculinity wrong.
— Andrew P Street (@AndrewPStreet) January 15, 2019
American actor and Donald Trump supporter James Wood called the whole thing ‘men are horrible’ campaign. Hollywood celeb Piers Morgan reacted saying the company ‘now wants every man to take one of their razors & cut off his testicles’.
*NEW: Let’s be clear: @gillette now wants every man to take one of their razors & cut off his testicles.
My new column: https://t.co/oxerBI37av pic.twitter.com/UjgrzVXaUb— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 15, 2019
PR expert Mark Borkowski told The Guardian that the advertisement is a “fantastically well-thought through campaign”, adding that the younger generation wants brands to have a purpose, not simply sell a product and “Masculinity is a huge part of Gillette’s brand, and there is a recognition in this ad that the new generation is reworking that concept of masculinity, and it is no longer the cliche once was.”
