The Best Men Can Be

Last updated

The Best Men Can Be
Thumbnail of We Believe, The Best Men Can Be , Gillette (Short Film).jpeg
Video thumbnail for the first short film
Client Gillette
LanguageEnglish
CountryInternational
Official website  gillette.com/en-us/the-best-men-can-be

"The Best Men Can Be" was a corporate social responsibility advertising campaign from the safety razor and personal care brand Gillette of Procter & Gamble. The campaign launched on January 13, 2019, with the digital release of a short film entitled We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.

Contents

The campaign title is a play upon a notable past Gillette ad slogan "The Best a Man Can Get", which dates back to the 1980s. The Best Men Can Be is an attempt to address negative behavior among men, including bullying, sexism, sexual misconduct, and toxic masculinity. The campaign includes a three-year commitment by Gillette to make donations to organizations that "[help men] achieve their personal best". [1]

The initial short film was the subject of controversy. While it was praised by some, such as Bernice King, and defended by others, such as Mona Charen, it was generally received negatively by various online commentators, particularly males and conservatives, becoming one of the most disliked videos on YouTube. [2] [3] The campaign has led to calls to boycott Gillette and Procter & Gamble. [4] [5] [6] A successive campaign, #MyBestSelf, was generally praised for its acknowledgement of the transgender community. [7]

Synopsis

The introductory short film for the campaign, We Believe: The Best Men Can Be, directed by Kim Gehrig, begins by invoking the brand's slogan since 1989, "The Best a Man Can Get", by asking "Is this the best a man can get?" This is followed by scenes demonstrating supposed negative behavior among males, including bullying, sexism, sexual misconduct, and toxic masculinity; acknowledgement of social movements, such as #MeToo; and footage of actor Terry Crews stating during Congressional testimony that "men need to hold other men accountable". The ad continues to explain that "we believe in the best in men: To say the right thing, to act the right way", since "the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow." As a result, the original slogan is re-worked to reinforce this message, becoming "The Best Men Can Be". [2] [3]

This campaign includes a companion website, and a pledge by Gillette to donate $1 million per-year over the next three years to organizations, such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America, that "[help men] achieve their personal best". In the aforementioned website, Gillette explains the campaign by stating that "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." [8] [9]

Reception

Upon its introduction, the advertisement received overwhelming criticism on social media while quickly becoming one of the most disliked videos on YouTube. Gillette was applauded by some for addressing current social issues and promoting positive values among men. Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., described the "We Believe" film as being "pro-humanity" and demonstrating that "character can step up to change conditions". [10] At the same time, the advertisement faced criticism and threats of boycotts from critics who said that it emasculated men, [2] [3] and who disagreed with its message. [11] [12] British journalist and television personality Piers Morgan described the campaign as "a direct consequence of radical feminists" who he said are "driving a war against masculinity". [13]

Regarding their embrace of woke culture and corporate responsibility, Josh Barro of New York magazine compared the ad unfavorably to a recent Nike campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, arguing that Nike's ad was successful since it was "uplifting rather than accusatory", and consistent with Nike's values as representing "bold action — on and off the field". In regards to Gillette's ad, he said "the viewer is likely to ask: Who is Gillette to tell me this? I just came here for razors. And razors barely even feature in Gillette's new campaign." Barro added that the market for razors was different from that of sporting goods", and that consumers "may be less likely to abandon a product because they feel accused by the brand when their emotional relationship to the brand wasn't the point to begin with." [14]

#MyBestSelf

In May 2019, Gillette released a video on Facebook, [15] as well as Instagram, [16] entitled "First Shave" as part of a follow-up campaign, #MyBestSelf, which features the story of a recently-transitioned trans man learning to shave from his father. The ad modified the Gillette slogan, this time by making it inclusive of gender identity. In contrast to "We Believe", the advertisement was generally praised for its acknowledgement of the transgender community. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving</span> Removal of hair with a razor or others bladed implement

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair. A man is called clean-shaven if he has had his beard entirely removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King C. Gillette</span> American entrepreneur (1855–1932)

King Camp Gillette was an American businessman who invented a bestselling safety razor. Gillette's innovation was the thin, inexpensive, disposable blade of stamped steel. Gillette is often erroneously credited with inventing the so-called razor and blades business model in which razors are sold cheaply to increase the market for blades. However, Gillette Safety Razor Company adopted the business model from its competitors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burma-Shave</span> U.S. shaving cream (introduced 1925)

Burma-Shave was an American brand of brushless shaving cream, famous for its advertising gimmick of posting humorous rhyming poems on small sequential highway roadside signs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Spice</span> American brand of male grooming products

Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, shaving cream, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Razor</span> Device to remove body hair

A razor is a bladed tool primarily used in the removal of body hair through the act of shaving. Kinds of razors include straight razors, safety razors, disposable razors, and electric razors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety razor</span> Shaving implement

A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reducing the reliance on professional barbers.

Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gillette Company, a supplier of products under various brands until that company merged into P&G in 2005. The Gillette Company was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilkinson Sword</span> British safety razor brand

Wilkinson Sword is a formerly British brand for razors and other personal care products sold in Europe, owned by the US company Edgewell Personal Care. The company was founded as a manufacturer of guns made in Shotley Bridge in County Durham, by Henry Nock in London in 1772.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straight razor</span> Knife used to remove body hair

A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced by craftsmen from Ancient Egypt during the New Kingdom. Solid gold and copper razors were also found in Ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to the 4th millennium BC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillette Mach3</span> Line of razors produced by Gillette

The Gillette Mach3 is a line of razors produced by Gillette.

Since the 19th century, men have taken part in significant cultural and political responses to feminism within each "wave" of the movement. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in a range of social relations, generally done through a "strategic leveraging" of male privilege. Feminist men have also argued alongside writers like bell hooks, however, that men's liberation from the socio-cultural constraints of sexism and gender roles is a necessary part of feminist activism and scholarship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nike, Inc.</span> American athletic equipment company

Nike, Inc. is an American athletic footwear and apparel corporation headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, United States. It is the world's largest supplier of athletic shoes and apparel and a major manufacturer of sports equipment, with revenue in excess of US$46 billion in its fiscal year 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Procter & Gamble</span> American multinational consumer goods corporation

The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer health, personal care and hygiene products; these products are organized into several segments including beauty; grooming; health care; fabric and home care; and baby, feminine, and family care. Before the sale of Pringles and Duracell to Kellogg's and Berkshire Hathaway, respectively, its product portfolio also included food, snacks, beverages, and batteries. P&G is incorporated in Ohio.

Dollar Shave Club, Inc. is an American company based in Venice, California, that delivers razors and other personal grooming products to customers by mail. It delivers razor blades on a monthly basis and offers additional grooming products for home delivery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry's</span> American shaving equipment company

Harry's is an American company that manufactures and sells shaving equipment and men's personal care products via online and retail channels. The company is known for their subscription service where customers receive new razor blades, shaving cream, and other grooming products by mail. Harry's is based in New York.

The concept of toxic masculinity is used in academic and media discussions to refer to those aspects of hegemonic masculinity that are socially destructive, such as misogyny, homophobia, and violent domination. These traits are considered "toxic" due in part to their promotion of violence, including sexual assault and domestic violence. Socialization of boys sometimes also normalizes violence, such as in the saying "boys will be boys" about bullying and aggression.

Purplewashing is a compound word modeled on the term whitewash. The prefix "purple" is associated with feminism while the verb "wash" refers to the co-opting strategies that use minority rights to maintain or enhance structural forms of discrimination.

Kim Gehrig is an Australian director whose body of work spans television shows, commercials, music videos, documentaries, short films and branded entertainment. Gehrig directed "The Woman Who Ate Photographs", an episode of Apple TV+ series, "Roar", starring Nicole Kidman. Her notable commercial works include Run This Town and Stay for Rihanna's Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show, The Greatest for Apple, Viva La Vulva for Libresse, Life Needs Truth for The New York Times, the This Girl Can campaign, and work for many more for brands including Airbnb, Google, Lyft, Nike, IKEA, GAP, and Amnesty International. In music videos, Gehrig has collaborated with artists such as Chaka Khan, Brittany Howard, Wiley, Calvin Harris, and Basement Jaxx. In 2023, Gehrig became the 2nd woman of all time to win the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials and her films have won a plethora of awards including Cannes Lions, D&AD pencils, BTAA Arrows and UKMVA's.

Go woke, go broke, or alternatively get woke, go broke, is an American political catchphrase used by right-wing groups to criticize and boycott businesses publicly supporting progressive policies, including empowering women, LGBT people and critical race theory, claiming that stock value and business performance will inevitably suffer as a result of adopting values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Opinions differ on the genuine impact of the phrase.

References

  1. "Our Commitment | The Best Men Can Be | Gillette®". Gilette . January 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Topping, Alexandra; Lyons, Kate; Weaver, Matthew (January 15, 2019). "Gillette #MeToo ad on 'toxic masculinity' gets praise – and abuse". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 Charen, Mona (January 17, 2019). "Gillette Is Not Wrong". National Review. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  4. DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (January 14, 2019). "Gillette released an ad asking men to 'act the right way.' Then came the backlash". Boston.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  5. Green, Dennis (January 14, 2019). "Gillette chastises men in a new commercial highlighting the #MeToo movement — and some are furious". Business Insider . Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
  6. "Gillette faces talks of boycott over ad campaign railing against toxic masculinity". ABC News. January 16, 2019. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  7. Watson, Imogen (May 26, 2019). "Gillette lauded for groundbreaking transgender ad that champions gender inclusivity". The Drum. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  8. Thompson, Sonia (January 14, 2019). "Gillette's New Ad Campaign Is Getting Lots of Buzz. The Reason Has Nothing to Do With Razors". Inc.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  9. Naidu, Richa; J, Soundarya (July 30, 2019). "P&G posts strong sales, takes $8 billion Gillette writedown". Reuters . Archived from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  10. McCluskie, Megan (January 15, 2019). "Gillette Makes Waves With Ad Highlighting 'Toxic Masculinity'". Time. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  11. Coffee, Patrick (January 14, 2019). "Gillette Asks How We Define Masculinity in the #MeToo Era as 'The Best a Man Can Get' Turns 30". Adweek. Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  12. Neff, Jack (January 14, 2019). "Gillette's new take on 'Best a Man Can Get' in commercial that invokes #MeToo". Advertising Age . Archived from the original on December 24, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
  13. Hsu, Tiffany (January 15, 2019). "Gillette Ad With a #MeToo Edge Attracts Support and Outrage". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  14. Barro, Josh (January 15, 2019). "Why Nike's Woke Ad Campaign Works and Gillette's Doesn't". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  15. Gillette (May 23, 2019). "First Shave, the story of Samson | #MyBestSelf". Facebook. Archived from the original on September 9, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  16. Gillette (May 24, 2019). "Instagram post". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 26, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2019. Whenever, wherever, however it happens—your first shave is special.
  17. Matthews, David (May 26, 2019). "Gillette releases ad with trans man shaving for the first time". Boston Herald. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  18. "Gillette ad features dad teaching trans son how to shave". PinkNews. May 26, 2019. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.