Things have really changed in recent years and people are not quite feeling the same way on issues as they did before. With the #MeToo movement, people are talking more than ever about the way men treat women. Of course, we recognize that it is up to men to change that behavior but they do need to be held accountable for their actions and decisions in life. Perhaps that is why we find Gillette’s new ad to be such a powerful force for good.
For the past 30 years, Gillette has been using the tagline: ‘The best a man can get’. I’m sure that you have heard it more times than once. The company has just released a new advertising campaign that has a new spin on the tagline. Rather than trying to appeal to the ‘manly man’ they are trying to get men to think about how many are harassing and mistreating women. It is all about stopping toxic masculinity.
You can watch it below in this video. I’m sure it will give you chills:
The ad targets men and is called ‘We Believe’. It starts off with audio of news about the movement we know as #MeToo. The narrator takes over and starts to use the phrase ‘boys will be boys’ and they ask, “Is this the best a man can get? Is it? We can’t hide from it. It has gone on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the same old excuses.”
You then watch men stepping up to other men and telling them to stop catcalling and telling women to smile. A father breaks up a fight between two young boys instead of letting them fight it out. A mother is then shown cradling her bullied son and text messages from others are shown on the screen.
The ad says, “Something finally changed, and there will be no going back.” We have to agree that something has changed and ads like this are making it happen.
The ad concludes: “Because the boys of today will be the men of tomorrow.” Now I’m off to grab some tissues.
“This is an important conversation happening, and as a company that encourages men to be their best, we feel compelled to both address it and take action of our own,” Gillette brand director Pankaj Bhalla said. “We are taking a realistic look at what’s happening today, and aiming to inspire change by acknowledging that the old saying ‘boys will be boys’ is not an excuse. We want to hold ourselves to a higher standard, and hope all the men we serve will come along on that journey to find our ‘best’ together.”
It’s a strong stance but an important voice that needs to be heard.