On Tuesday, personal care company Gillette posted a short film titled “We Believe: The Best a Man Can Be” to YouTube, which has sent the internet into meltdown.
No ad to show here.
The ad addresses issues of sexual harassment, toxic masculinity, bullying and abusive behaviour, calling for men to hold themselves and others accountable for their actions.
The video seemingly sends a message of respect and togetherness, addressing real issues in today’s society. Despite this, the video has almost 250 000 dislikes on YouTube, while the hashtag #Gillette remains trending at number one on Twitter. And for all the wrong reasons.
The brand is now facing backlash from thousands of men across social media who find the video offensive.
Their reasoning is, undoubtedly, questionable.
On the bright side, not everyone feels attacked.
Wow, so some men are going to boycott a company for calling them in decades of really garbage behavior?
— Haters gonna hate (@ViveLaReziztanz) January 15, 2019Good job @Gillette. I loved your new advertisement.
If you don't have questionably moral standards, why would an ad encouraging better behavior, compassion, and understanding bother you?
— Michelle Grimwood (@9ontheturn) January 15, 2019
Gillette told CBNC on Tuesday that it largely expected both negative and positive reactions.
“At the end of the day, sparking conversation is what matters. This gets people to pay attention to the topic and encourages them to consider taking action to make a difference,” the company told the publication.
Feature image: screenshot, Gillette via YouTube
