Gillette Addresses Toxic Masculinity in New Ad, Receives Mixed Reception
‘The best a man can get’ has been the trademark catchphrase for Gillette for a long time now. Its recently unveiled ad switches up the concept a little and asks, ‘Is this the best that men can do?’ The ad itself features a look at the culture of toxic masculinity and the way it impacts men while adding the context of the #MeToo Movement.
Reactions have been fairly mixed. There are those who greatly support the ad because they feel like it’s a step in the right direction for a company as notable as Gillette to address the subject in such a clear-cut manner. However, there has also been an intensely negative reaction.
A quick look at social media will show you that there are clearly many people who have taken offense to the ad, citing that it presents men negatively and is disrespectful to their gender. There are even those who claim that they will stop purchasing Gillette products from now on due to the nature of the ad.
There is also a third perspective on the situation, and that is in the awareness that Gillette is a business. There are some voices in the crowd who believe that even though the message presented in the ad is good, it’s important to keep in mind that Gillette as a business will do what it can to attract the most positive reception it can. This neutral approach cites that companies are only motivated by profit and should be acknowledged as such, even when the message they preach is a positive one.
Gillette’s tactics are nothing new in the world of marketing, as many other brands such as Dove or Covergirl have similarly incorporated popular issues in order to capture the interest of the public. In Gillette’s case, it has employed this strategy in a way that directly relates to men.
In a case of good timing, the APA published a report titled ‘Guidelines for the Psychological Practice with Boys and Men’ just a few days prior to the ad being released. The report addresses the risks and dangers to the physical and mental health of men and boys caused by the unhealthy culture surrounding them. It goes on to cite years of research which draws a link between being “macho” and the health risks it causes (such as cardiovascular diseases).
With science to support it, one could argue that Gillette is on the right track, even if its motivations aren’t the most altruistic.