If you have ever felt you are living in a time of great change, now is as good a time as ever for brand leaders to make an impact by standing up for what they believe in. Earlier this month, Gillette made a very brave move when they launched their revolutionary new advertisement “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be”.
Known for their 30-year old strong tagline “The best a man can get”, Gillette wanted to take a fresh look at what it means to be the best and how they may portray these ideals in a modern society. So, they made the bold move, by changing their focus along with their slogan to “The best a man can be”.
The campaign bravely supports the #MeToo movement whilst addressing social issues such as bullying, harassment and toxic masculinity. They believe men can be better and want to urge men to change their behaviour and embrace three simple principles - respect, accountability and role modelling.
According to Gary Coombe, President of P&G Global Grooming “Gillette believes in the best in men by holding each other accountable, eliminating excuses for bad behaviour, and supporting a new generation working toward their personal 'best', we can help create positive changes that will matter for years to come”.
The film begins by stating these challenges and then asks “Is this the best a man get – is it?” A number of images, both real-life and fictional examples are shown to demonstrate these points. It also shows numerous examples of men behaving honourably such as a man who chastises his friend for approaching a girl inappropriately and a dad who teaches his daughter, she is strong. Another shows a dad who steps in to stop a group bullying a young boy right through an older man who gets two young men to shake hands and makeup.
Throughout the film, the voice-over continues to state:
"We can't hide from it - it's been going on far too long, we can't laugh it off, making the same old excuses… But something finally changed, and there will be no going back - because we believe in the best in men…to say the right thing, to act the right way - some already are, in ways big and small…But some is not enough because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow".
There are split views and opinions on the advertisement with less likes than dislikes on You-Tube. Personally speaking, I love it. I love the fairness, the fact that it is thought provoking and full of hope. I was also glad to learn Gillette have committed to donating $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profit organizations executing programs in the United States, to help men of all ages achieve their personal 'best'.
As a marketing campaign, I think its ingenious and very brave. It’s getting so much attention - in less than 6 days, it generated just under 20 million views. A month on, they’ve reached just over 29 million views.
I salute Gillette for leading the way for a better future for us all. And I commend the creative genius Kim Gehrig for creating such an innovative, thought provoking and clever campaign.