The best men can be?

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Gillette faces backlash and boycott over '#MeToo advert'

A Gillette advert which references bullying, the #MeToo movement and toxic masculinity has split opinion online.

The razor company's short film, called Believe, plays on their famous slogan "The best a man can get", replacing it with "The best men can be".

The company says it wants men to hold each other "accountable".

Some have praised the message of the advert, which aims to update the company's 30-year-old tagline, but others say Gillette is "dead" to them.

The ad has been watched more than 2 million times on YouTube in 48 hours.



It currently has 23,000 likes and 214,000 dislikes, at time of writing - and that's increasing all the time.

In it, the company asks "Is this the best a man can get?" before showing images of bullying, sexual harassment, sexist behaviour and aggressive male behaviour.

It then shows examples of more positive behaviour - such as stepping in to prevent these behaviours when they happen in public.

Comments on the video are largely negative, with viewers saying they will never buy Gillette products again or that the advert was "feminist propaganda".

"In less than two minutes you managed to alienate your biggest sales group for your products. Well done," wrote one angry viewer.

Twitter users are also sharing their disappointment with Gillette's new campaign.





There have also been calls for Gillette, which is owned by Procter & Gamble, to post an apology video.

But the brand believes the new advert aligns with its slogan and says it believes in "the best in men." 

"By holding each other accountable, eliminating excuses for bad behaviour, and supporting a new generation working toward their personal 'best,' we can help create positive change that will matter for years to come," says its president, Gary Coombe.

The advert was directed by Kim Gehrig from the UK-based agency Somesuch, who also directed the 2015 campaign for Sport England, This Girl Can.

Gillette has partnered with the Building A Better Man project, which seeks to reduce violent behaviour in men, and The Boys and Girls Club of America, which helps young men develop better social and communication skills. It's also donating $1m a year for the next three years to US charities aimed at supporting men.

But, alongside the negative reaction to the brand's new message, there has also been widespread praise for attempting to tackle the issue of modern masculinity.






"We knew that joining the dialogue on 'Modern Manhood' would mean changing how we think about and portray men at every turn," adds Gary Coombe.

"Effective immediately, Gillette will review all public-facing content against a set of defined standards meant to ensure we fully reflect the ideals of Respect, Accountability and Role Modelling in the ads we run, the images we publish to social media, the words we choose, and more.

"For us, the decision to publicly assert our beliefs while celebrating men who are doing things right was an easy choice that makes a difference."

Comments

Sir Joseph said…
Hi Graham,

I hope you forgive me for doing philosophy about an advertisement. It seems that people get upset because somebody can hurt their personality. They think that are very male or very female and nobody can go down their proud. I think it´s good feeling proud of himself, but reckoning that the ad can hurt their nature, it´s enough.

Sometimes, I think, I´m a man but I could be woman, I didn´t choose it. I´m from Segovia but I could be born in Madagascar. My mother chose for me. I´m not blonde nor tall, not even my parents could choose it.

I know I´m a human being and consequently I have to obey the rules of the human being. My main obligation, as human being, is to survive. I need to live with we all, women or men, from Segovia or from Madagascar, blond or dark skinned, short or tall. I feel proud of being that I´m but could be other thing and this felling forces to respect anyone.

I wonder if is "the best a man can get" or "the best men can be" so important for survive?

See you.
Saturday, 02 February, 2019
Graham said…
Good afternoon Jóse :D

I always have a quick look at your comment before deciding whether to correct it or leave it until later. I could be having my Sunday siesta right now but I find myself replying to you. I hope I don't regret it.

Take a deep breath.

Here goes.


I hope you forgive me for philosophising about an advertisement. It seems that people get upset if somebody criticises their personality. They think that they are very manly or very feminine and nobody can diminish their pride. I think it´s a good feeling to be proud of yourself, but reckoning that the ad can hurt your nature is over the top. (I'm not sure if "nature" is the correct word here but it'll do)

Sometimes, I think, I´m a man but I could be woman, I wasn't given the choice. I´m from Segovia but I could have been born in Madagascar. My mother chose for me. I´m neither blond nor tall; not even my parents could choose (that).

I know I´m a human being and consequently I have to obey the rules of the human being. My main obligation, as a human being, is to survive. I need to live alongside everyone else, women or men, from Segovia or from Madagascar, blond or dark skinned, short or tall. I feel proud of being what I am but I could be some other kind of person and this feeling makes me respect others.

I wonder >if it is "the best a man can get" or "the best men can be" which is the most important to survive?


After all that, I need a nap. :D


Sunday, 03 February, 2019
Barbara said…
I don´t understand how anyone can feel angry for Gillette´s advertisement, at least nobody can´t praise the behavior they are pointed, so why the people don’t support this advertisement. I heard there are a problem with masculinity nowadays, the man don’t have role model, and certainly I read an article that says in all the 90´s movies the man roles use to be more mature than now, they used to be in their thirty and have responsibilities and not afraid of it, now the man roles usually are immature, and don’t want to take responsibilities. As I concern man or woman, I have realized that in general the society treat young adults as teenagers.
Sunday, 21 March, 2021
Graham said…
Hello Barbara,

I agree with you. :-) I don't understand how anyone can get upset about the Gillette ad. You can still be masculine even if you are a sensitive type. Men should correct any wrong behaviour of their sons or mates.

It is OK for men to take an interest in their appearance but the pendulum has swung too far the other way. I will never understand the self-obsessed Instagram types we have today.

There are positive role models out there but today's youngsters are most likely to look up to influencers.

Children grow up quicker nowadays but then they reach adulthood and want to be excused from responsibilities because of their young age.

I despair when I look at the generation behind me but that might be part of being middle-aged.


I don´t understand how anyone can feel angry about the Gillette advertisement, at least nobody should fail to praise the behaviour they are shown. So why don't people support this advertisement? (support = apoyar / soportar = hate / can stand) I heard that there is a problem with masculinity nowadays; men don’t have role models. What is more, I read an article that says in all movies from the nineties, men's roles used to be more mature than now. They used to be in their thirties and have responsibilities and not afraid of it. Now male characters are usually immature, and don’t want to take responsibilities. As far as both men or women are concerned, I have realised that, in general, society treats young adults as teenagers.


You should always proofread your comments to check for careless mistakes. Don't write such long sentences as in Spanish. Longish sentences are possible but the longer the sentence the better your punctuation must be. Keep writing and trying out language you see in class.
Sunday, 28 March, 2021
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