Gillette's past makes it especially difficult for a campaign suggesting a cultural change that the company needed to prove jet to be able to achieve itself. Challenging the social definition of masculinity after exploding it for almost a century naturally came as a surprise and was received with skepticism and outrage by others. The examples and word choice of the short itself also left a door open for some to take it as a personal attack and feel offended by it, something that was clearly expressed on Gillette's social media as a response from the public.
Gillette launching this campaign is almost a metaphor for what they were trying to inspire from men: sacrifice their comfort zone to start thinking and redefining who they are. Gillette claims that the intention was to create a conversation just as the short calls for men to question their preconceptions and think of future generations. Even with a complex history, Gillette believes in the best of men just as they wish the public believes in the best of them.
The historical and economic context generates a complex environment for its success. On one side, substantial social pressure and sensitivity surrounded the toxic masculinity topic, with the public hypersensitive around it. The change was coming, but the tension was still the main feeling about that conversation. And on the other side, Gillette's difficult economic position allowed its intention to be interpreted as self-interested.