Gillette chastises men in a new commercial highlighting the #MeToo movement - and some are furious
- Gillette released a commercial on Monday called "We Believe," calling on men to change their behavior in light of the #MeToo movement.
- The commercial encourages men to be the "best" by holding each other accountable and eliminating excuses for bad behavior.
- Some have heavily criticized the ad online.
Gillette is calling on men to step it up.
A new ad, called "We Believe" and lasting a minute and a half, encourages men to to change their behavior. It directly invokes the #MeToo movement in order to directly confront America's culture of "toxic masculinity."
"Gillette believes in the best in men; that by holding each other accountable, eliminating excuses for bad behavior, and supporting a new generation working toward their personal 'best,' we can deliver positive change that will matter for years to come," Gary Coombe, president of Gillette parent Procter & Gamble's global grooming business, said in a statement about the ad.
The ad opens with audio of news anchors covering a simulated reporting on a #MeToo-related movement. A narrator then asks "Is this the best a man can get? Is it?"
The narration continues over scenes of men changing their behavior:
The ad was developed by Gillette's advertising agency, AOR Grey, and was directed by Kim Gehrig. Gillette also pledged $1 million a year to nonprofit groups "designed to help men of all ages achieve their personal 'best,' changing the conversation of modern manhood for generations to come."
Read more: Costco now sells its own razors - and it's terrible news for Gillette
Not everyone is on board with Gillette's message.
Hundreds of comments and replies on the Twitter post and Youtube video debuting the ad expressed negative sentiment. Many criticized the tone of the ad, comparing it to a lecture.
"Propagada [sic], pure and simple," one comment reads.
Others had a problem with the way it painted men, which they saw as uncharitable.
"This commercial is awful," reads another. "It is dripping with contempt for men and upholds ridiculous sterotypes [sic]."
"Wow literally we are attacked for being men," reads one YouTube comment with over 100 thumbs-up likes of agreement.
Some promised to boycott Gillette or expressed that they were glad they had already stopped buying Gillette razors.
"I've been buying Gillette products for 55 years ... no more. I glean from this that most men are dogs, that is simply not true," one person said.
There were a few positive comments buried in between.
"You just got yourselves a new customer," one person tweeted.
Check out the full commercial below:
In recent months and years, Gillette has been locked in a battle to stem the bleeding from sagging sales as fewer men shave and those who do gravitate toward direct-to-consumer upstarts Dollar Shave Club and Harry's.
