A new ad from Gillette titled, “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be,” has gone viral on social media eliciting a wide range of responses from consumers. Some praised Gillette’s parent company, Procter & Gamble, for its risk in taking on the topic of toxic masculinity in the era of the #MeToo movement while others felt the message went too far and responded with #Gilletteboycott posts.
This video comes at time when companies are increasingly featuring politically charged topics in their advertisements, a trend known as “Woke” advertising, to attract a younger demographic. Is this the future of advertising? CEO Andy Gilman is quoted in the CNN article, “What that Gillette Ad Says About the Trend in Woke Advertising.
“P&G is in business to sell products. They’re looking at what the long-term reputation of the company is,” said Andrew Gilman, CEO of CommCore Consulting. The spot was a message to current and future employees about what the company stands for and expects from its workforce, he added.
For more related coverage: Gillette Ad Challenges Toxic Masculinity in the #MeToo movement