With the increasing popularity of body shaving and the desire for clean, bald appearances, Gillette has wisely broadened its interpretation of being well-groomed. It is somewhat disheartening, however, that the brand appears to have abandoned certain commitments to promoting a positive view of male achievement. It seems wise to shift focus away from the negative aspects of masculinity. A TikTok sing-along (below) and a YouTube film showcasing its behind-the-scenes process have also helped to create its own digital presence.
Through a clever twist on its iconic slogan, “The Best a Man Can Get,” Gillette aims to confront toxic masculinity and enhance the self-esteem of boys and men. Most customers respected Nike’s position despite a Twitter-led campaign urging a boycott of the company. Male guardians, including fathers, play a significant role in shaping children and young adults’ perspectives on the world.
Indeed, the response was quick, with some consumers choosing to boycott the brand. Yet in an oversaturated landscape of uninspired content, a sense of discomfort can actually serve as a form of distinction. While numerous brands adopt social messaging to seem socially aware, Gillette fully embraced a marketing approach driven by purpose. Such transparency is seldom seen, particularly in commercial storytelling, exemplifying what purpose-driven marketing looks like today.
Assisting local communities
Additionally, you consent to receive communications about marketing, updates, special offers (including those from partners), and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. Ultimately, the message that resonates is likely the winning one; even if they encounter backlash now, they are likely to be remembered for standing on the right side of history. Rather, they propose that true male strength manifests through honorable conduct. Fathers should exemplify respect toward women and monitor their sons to ensure they display respect for women as well.
In this era where purpose must be demonstrated rather than merely represented, true brand leadership is defined by this — not through likes, shares, or sales surges. It redirected a tagline initially created for external validation toward a more internal reflection. Years later, Gillette’s “The Best Men Can Be” remains contentious — and this controversy is what fuels its effectiveness. Many brands hesitant to engage in social discussions fear potential backlash.
I will never use Gillette again. However, visiting the YouTube page where the video resides reveals that the comments are overwhelmingly negative. Gillette introduced a new campaign, “The Best Men Can Be,” featuring a minute-and-a-half video that has garnered both praise and criticism. Assist us in sharing this message about the significance of being an Upstander. We don’t want politics mixed with our shaving gel.
Reinterpreting Brand Purpose in Contemporary Marketing
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 top youtube ads 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 Concept of the Campaign: Transitioning from Tagline to Change
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.
These personas offered a framework to understand the target audience’s needs, preferences, and motivations, enabling Gillette to customize its messaging and marketing strategies effectively. Data indicates that millennials are inclined to spend more on brands that align with their core values and prefer companies whose principles reflect their own. What if the true aim of this advertisement is to make women feel positively about the brand and its products, given that women often influence household purchasing decisions even when men are the actual users of the product?
Crying in public is a show of strength. More Irish men should do it
Gillette had found its place in men’s grooming ever since it came with the tagline, “ The Best a Man Can Get” in 1989. Instead, it showed scenes of bullying, harassment, gender stereotypes, and positive role models. Younger consumers were demanding more from brands, not just products but values.
But by February, net favorability toward Gillette (percentage of people favorable less those unfavorable to the brand) had declined 10 points to 58 percent. Although negative reactions on YouTube still outweigh the positive nearly two to one as of September (1.5 million to 802,000) on 32.4 million views, the initial negative social-media reaction became more favorable over time. Marketing intelligence firm BrandTotal found social media sentiment in the days immediately after the ad broke as negative by a 63 percent to 8 percent margin, while social listening firm Converseon found the negative-positive ratio a more balanced 45 percent to 34 percent. The ad dovetailed with the launch of Gillette’s TheBestMenCanBe.org, a site that celebrates “men who are advocates, mentors and leaders in their communities, demonstrating what it means to be a great man, every day,” backed by a $1 million-plus annual commitment for three years to organizations that help men be “their personal best.” Then various men, including Crews, stand up to call for better behavior.
