On January 13, 2019, Gillette launched its short film "We Believe: The Best Men Can be" as a response to a zeitgeist shift questioning masculinity and the many toxic traits that had grown to become part of it. This video attempts to showcase self-reflection and an intention of change, much as they suggest for their consumers to go through.
“Our ambition is to ensure all boys grow up benefitting from positive role models.”
The Best a Man Can Be
This video expresses Gillette's point of view about the need for a change in the definition of masculinity. Starting with mentioning subjects like bullying, the MeToo movement, sexual harassment, and toxic masculinity while questioning their old slogan, "Is this the best a man can get” Gillette sets the tone for what will culminate as their rebranding and the launch of their "The best a man can be "initiative. Many examples of toxic masculinity traits are shown, and as the narrator states, "We believe in the best in men" examples of individuals fighting to change this behavior are shown, consolidated by the idea of being a good example for the future generation.
Significant changes had been happening in the market for men's razors previous to the launch of this campaign. Gillette, who has always been the leader in the category, had just lost 20% of the market between 2010 to 2018, leading it with a 50% market share, almost losing the majority for the first time. All of this is due to Beards becoming trendy and, significantly, new competition rising. Startups offering subscription systems to the consumer were gaining strength fastly as a cheaper and more convenient alternative. It's important to remember that razors are an impulse category, and getting regular purchases from consumers is the biggest challenge of a category like this, a problem that subscription plans approach entirely innovatively. Gillette tried lowering their prices and even implementing their subscription services, but more was needed to counter the considerable losses in the market.
Parallel to this, the "Harvey Weinstein" case overtook all news channels. With this, the #MeToo movement became prevalent in social media, causing toxic masculinity to become one of the most present social problems, with women sharing their personal stories and men being exposed for their behavior worldwide. It was evident that change was needed, and the traditional image of manhood had to be questioned and reevaluated.
A bit of context
Economical impact
While Gillette has been historically dominant in its category, a change in trends in the male grooming market was threatening the brand with losing market dominance; growing a beard became the trend, and most importantly, startups with subscription systems started offering the most economical alternative to traditional products. The best a man can be was likely an attempt to gain millennial customers, notorious for being more attracted to socially conscious brands. All of this indicates that the campaign should be considered a long-term investment from the brand to generate future customers in younger generations.
In the early days, Gillet’s advertising focused on practicality, the idea that allowed them to become the unofficial razer of the army, but making most of its history “[…] Gillette has positioned itself as the tool a man needs to build confidence, making the case that a clean shave is the key to not only looking good but getting what you want, particularly when what you want is to attract beautiful women.” After 2019 they have tried to separate themselves from this idea following their “The best a man can be” pledge.
About Gillette
Reception
Positive
As with most "Woke" campaigns, the public reaction was mixed, which, in this case, seems to have been by design. P&G's Senior vice president & general manager for grooming, Pankaj Bhalla, stated on American news: "We expected debate. Actually, discussion is necessary. If we don't discuss and don't talk about it, I don't think real change will happen." The idea pairs with the concept of men correcting their behavior to become better role models for the next generation. Even though the apparent social media reaction seemed overwhelmingly negative, independent research shows that actual customers reacted positively to it and had a better overall impression of the brand after the campaign.
Negative
"The best a man can be"was received with an overwhelming amount of negative comments and reactions on social media, particularly on Gillette's youtube channel, where the negative comments outnumbered the positive ones ten to one. Most of these were people offended by the open criticism that the brand was doing towards a traditional idea of masculinity and its social toxicity; most importantly, some critics pointed out that this campaign seemed to be hard to believe from a brand with a history of sexist adds promoting a macho behavior.
Get on with the times.
There is no better time than now to evolve and grow with the zeitgeist. Don’t be afraid of moving forward. Culture is evolving, and so should brands.
Never too late to change
Demand change from yourself before the consumers do.
Take the hit
Be prepared for some backlash. Changing what your brand stands for means changing how people relate to it. If you push for change, chances are your client base will also change. Make sure this is a step forward.
Grow from criticism
Take the backlash and criticism as fuel for growth. A passionate reaction means that what your doing is important enough for people to care. The public will tell you what you still need to fulfill to gain their trust.
Invest in the long run
Focus on the next generations; you can grow a business on the same consumers from a hundred years ago. Brand loyalty starts at a young age.
Resignify
Find new meaning within your brand. Past ideas change meaning in a new environment. Rethink how the essence behind ideas would apply in today’s conditions.
Key Takeaways
Special thanks to Victoria Sahagian and Ana Baseio. Without their paper, "The Best a Man Can Be": Gillette and toxic masculinity, this would have been possible