Is it because I'm a man? For me the admirable new Gillette ad doesn't work...

So let’s get some stuff out of the way first 1) I’m a man 2) I’m a dad (to both a boy and a girl) 3) I used to work at P&G. While none of these should feel like particularly important admissions they feel essential given what I’m about to say:

I really don’t like the new Gillette ad. 

Don’t get me wrong, I want to like it, I really want to, but I can’t. 

When it comes to brands embracing ‘purpose’ I’m unashamedly an advocate for this having worked on Pampers’ partnership with UNICEF for many years. I see this kind of work as complementary (rather than contradictory) to the fundamentals of awareness, availability & distinctiveness around which there is a lot of conversation. There is power in both having a point of view on meaningful issues and the ability to make a real difference based on what you believe. In this instance Gillette have both, a point of view on toxic masculinity and the potential to make a real difference - after all advertisers, especially those with budgets on the scale of P&G or Unilever etc really are capable of shaping how we see ourselves and the actions we take. Dove is the obvious poster child here but there are others, look at the work of Channel 4 in the UK with the Paralympics. I’d also suggest there is a level of bravery in taking the brand here that is healthy - too often we are afraid to upset anyone, from your boss who’s got to approve the work (or the budget) to everyone armed with a (dis)like button when your ad turns up on YouTube – pretty much the only thing you can make by trying to keep everyone happy is wallpaper…

We also need to recognise that gone are the days when brands operated at a lofty distance from the people they serve. Today we need to dive into the messy, glorious, and often complicated, world that we all live in. This is where we find insight, this is where we find understanding and this is where, I believe, its ok to have an opinion, brands are part of this world too. To pause briefly and clarify, I do mean a ‘real’ opinion, one that encourages us to consider a problem from different angles, one that creates conversation – what our partners at Contagious talk about in terms of “divisive values”. Motherhood and apple pie is not an opinion, it’s a platitude and people will rightly recognise and respond as to it as such, probably by ignoring it… and isn’t that the worst fate of all for a marketer? So Gillette deserve credit, they have taken on a conversation that isn’t easy and done it knowing it would be a challenge. It’s not entirely selfless, of course it’s not, there’s a business to run but finding that sweet spot between a meaningful issue, your brand/product and the space you play in can unlock compelling stories to tell that really do shift opinions - and product. From Always to Axe, Patagonia to Nike clear purpose helps brands find new stories to tell, different ways to have a conversation with people and ultimately helps build brands that drive sales. 

So if the ingredients have potential what isn’t working?

1. I don’t believe that Gillette have really understood the issue and how the vast majority of men relate to it. That isn’t to imply that men are unaware or uninterested in the issue, we aren’t, and have a responsibility to step up. However to me (as a man) the way Gillette tell the story feels like a lazy, broad brush stereotype which flies in the face of the authenticity that is essential to success in purpose driven work.  Think how much more complex the men portrayed in the stories Axe/Lynx has started telling are…
2. It teaches (or even preaches) and does it in a way that’s patronising, to me this makes it an execution that feels less about men stepping up and more about Gillette talking down
3. As such it dwells on the negative rather than the positive, very rarely can you sell your brand or product by making people feel bad. Lets take another recent example that stirred controversy, Nike, by contrast this felt uplifting and empowering, a call to action rather than a telling off...

 So the internet is a world where it’s easy to throw stones rather than offer any kind of constructive thought, so given I’ve thrown a few it seems only fair to say what I’d do if I were Gillette?

1. Don’t be frightened off, the debate about this issue is one that needs to be had, in short the idea behind the execution has real potential - the issue is real and handled well it’s a space that has the potential to make the brand truly distinctive, to give it a more meaningful voice. It might not have been quite right first time round but keep going, the next round will be more credible and compelling if you recognise you've learnt
2. Look at the issue more deeply, talk to people about it (men and women) and find a really specific angle on it and an insight that works harder. One that finds the sweet spot between how men really feel about this, how it relates brand and also the grooming world that Gillette is part of.  This insight needs to resolve a tension and engage people to take action
3. Work out what you’re going to do (or failing that what you’re going to help people do) and make this the centre of the story, great purpose driven work sees brands taking action not talking, think REI in the US closing their stores on Black Friday so people can ‘get outside’
4. Empower men, invite us to step up, but please don’t give lecture us on getting our act together, stand with us, not above us - be our champion not our parents.  Help us create a better vision of the future don't sell me the problem we have today

So Gillette, if you’re listening, well done for taking a stand, don’t be afraid to have an opinion and to champion it, after all I’ve not yet met anyone who said having an opinion isn’t ultimately something they respect. It might not be working for me yet, possibly because I'm a man, but know that me, and my kids, would be grateful if you kept going, hopefully with some useful pointers in the above. To the men and women of the internet, what’s your opinion...?