.jpeg) Video thumbnail for the first short film | |
| Client | Gillette |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | International |
| Official website | gillette |
"The Best Men Can Be" was a corporate social responsibility advertising campaign from the safety razor and personal care brand Gillette of Procter & Gamble. The campaign launched on January 13, 2019, with the digital release of a short film entitled We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.
The campaign title is a play upon a notable past Gillette ad slogan "The Best a Man Can Get", which dates back to the 1980s. The Best Men Can Be is an attempt to address negative behavior among men, including bullying, sexism, sexual misconduct, and toxic masculinity. The campaign includes a three-year commitment by Gillette to make donations to organizations that "[help men] achieve their personal best".[1]
The initial short film was the subject of controversy. While it was praised by some, such as Bernice King, and defended by others, such as Mona Charen, it was generally received negatively by various online commentators, particularly males and conservatives, becoming one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.[2][3] The campaign has led to calls to boycott Gillette and Procter & Gamble.[4][5][6] A successive campaign, #MyBestSelf, was generally praised for its acknowledgement of the transgender community.[7]
- ^ "Our Commitment | The Best Men Can Be | Gillette®". Gilette. January 13, 2019. Archived from the original on February 2, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
- ^ Topping, Alexandra; Lyons, Kate; Weaver, Matthew (January 15, 2019). "Gillette #MeToo ad on 'toxic masculinity' gets praise – and abuse". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ Charen, Mona (January 17, 2019). "Gillette Is Not Wrong". National Review. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
- ^ DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (January 14, 2019). "Gillette released an ad asking men to 'act the right way.' Then came the backlash". Boston.com. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Green, Dennis (January 14, 2019). "Gillette chastises men in a new commercial highlighting the #MeToo movement — and some are furious". Business Insider. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ "Gillette faces talks of boycott over ad campaign railing against toxic masculinity". ABC News. January 16, 2019. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Watson, Imogen (May 26, 2019). "Gillette lauded for groundbreaking transgender ad that champions gender inclusivity". The Drum. Archived from the original on May 27, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.