P&G’s Gillette ad asks men to shave their ‘toxic masculinity’ and a big backlash ensues

A 30-year-old tag line selling Gillette razors to men is having its own #MeToo moment, and some of its whiskered target audience and the women behind them are outraged that a big consumer brand stepped outside of grooming.

There’s little that bristles men, and many women, like trying to define manhood.

The Gillette brand that claims it’s “The Best A Man Can Get” this week launched a campaign around the sexual harassment movement, and with the idea of “toxic masculinity” already in the zeitgeist, the ad got plenty of response. Most came in a Twitter uproar and pledged product boycott, though included some observers — of all genders — saying the timing is right.

P&G said it has no plans to pull the spot in the face of some negative reaction, The Wall Street Journal reported. “We recognize it’s sparking a lot of passionate dialogue — at the same time, it’s getting people to stop and think about what it means to be our best selves, which is the point of the spot,” said Pankaj Bhalla, Gillette brand director for North America.

P&G shares were up slightly early Tuesday. The stock is down about 0.8% so far in January, but up over 1% for the past year.

The ad, created by the brand’s agency Grey and titled “We Believe,” opens with audio of news about the #MeToo movement, bullying and uses the hot-button phrase “toxic masculinity.” A narrator goes on to dispute the notion that “boys will be boys,” asking, “Is this the best a man can get? Is it? We can’t hide from it. It has been going on far too long. We can’t laugh it off, making the same old excuses.”

“The video is sad and depressing while putting ALL men in a bad light,” one Twitter user wrote. “Men aren’t just waking up to bad things that are going on. There have always been good men. Bad ones too, yes, but the same can be said about women.”

Article via MarketWatch