Gillette knew that its new #MeToo ad would prompt backlash. Here's why the company still went ahead with it.
- Shaving giant Gillette knew that its new ad addressing the #MeToo movement would be divisive. But the brand still went ahead with it in order to continue to appeal to future generations of customers.
- The ad is part of a broader brand repositioning, and turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, making it a call for men to take an inward look and placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves.
- Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, called it it "a statement of self-reflection" from the brand.
- Gillette first started brainstorming the repositioning in the spring of 2018, and ran several qualitative tests before running it.
Gillette was well aware that its new ad would ruffle some feathers.
But it still went ahead with it because it knew it needed to reposition itself to continue to resonate with the next generation of its customers, and wanted to leverage its position as a 117 year-old brand and a market leader to spark dialogue.
"We knew that this particular commercial would trigger a conversation," Pankaj Bhalla, brand director for Gillette and Venus, told Business Insider. "The idea was to get people thinking, because the belief was that good advertising does trigger a healthy debate."
"We Believe," which debuted on Monday, minces no words in attempting to address toxic masculinity. The minute-and-a-half spot opens with a montage of news anchors covering the #MeToo-related movement, followed by a narrator asking: "Is this the best a man can get? Is it?" The narration then continues over scenes of men changing their behavior, whether it is how they respond to bullying or how they interact with women.
It turns Gillette's 30-year-old tagline "The Best A Man Can Get" on its head, repositioning it as a call for men to take an inward look and placing the onus on them to be the best versions of themselves. The idea was to make the tagline relevant in the current day and age in a way that appeals to people emotionally, not just practically, said Bhalla.
While certainly a deliberate move, Gillette insisted that the ad is not a political statement.
"It isn't a social statement or a political one at all," said Bhalla. "It is a statement of self-reflection from a brand that caters primarily to men - that one of the ways they can be the best version of themselves is by being great role models to the next generation."
The ad is the first one by a mainstream brand to tackle the #MeToo movement head-on, and comes on the heels of a string of other marketers taking a stand on hot-button issues in recent years. But it isn't first time that parent company Proctor & Gamble has promoted its stance on social issues like gender equality. Its "Like a Girl" campaign for feminine-care brand Always, for example, made waves as well.
"This new spot from Gillette continues our effort to spark conversation on issues of bias and equality, which drives reflection and understanding," a P&G spokesperson told Business Insider. "We take seriously our role as one of the world's largest advertisers to use our voice to be a positive force for good in society."
"We Believe" was also backed by months of qualitative research and testing. Gillette first started brainstorming with its agency Grey in the spring of 2018, said Bhalla, followed by qualitative research across both men and women around the notion of masculinity. It also tested creative before greenlighting the final creative.
"Masculinity is a complex topic," said Bhalla. "It's still in the early days, but we feel good about the direction we've taken as a brand."
Gillette also teased the topic in other commercials encouraging men to be the best version of themselves in the run-up to the launch of the latest ad. "Your Best Never Comes Easy" featured Seattle Seahawks' Shaquem Griffin overcoming adversity to reach where he is, while "Handle With Care" showcased its assisted shaving product in recent months.
In recent years, Gillette has been facing stiff competition from direct-to-consumer upstarts like Dollar Shave Club and Harry's and declining sales as fewer men choose to shave. With this ad, the brand hopes to be both "a force for good, and a force for growth," ultimately helping it boost sales.
"The long term objective is that Gillette continues to grow, that its equity continues to get stronger at the hands of those young men that we're grooming now," said Bhalla.
Gillette will continue to address the issue and put it at the center of upcoming ads as well.