Toxic Masculinity row: What does Gillette shifting focus say about purposeful advertising?
Following the controversy over the #MeToo movement-inspired ad in Jan, the brand has shifted its spotlight from social issues to local heroes
After a $8 billion write-down for parent company Procter & Gamble due to razor brand Gillette’s controversial ad campaign playing on the #MeToo movement, the company had to call off its war against toxic masculinity. The brand shifted its spotlight from social issues to local heroes. So, what does this instance say about purposeful advertising? Has it run its course or is it the case of nuance getting lost amidst rancor? Is there no purpose higher than profit for brands today?
The controversial commercial released in January 2019 plays on the famous #MeToo movement calling out men to be better versions of themselves. It sparked a great deal of discussion and controversy, with twitterati literally demolishing the brand for their campaign and many threatening to boycott it. The commercial triggered a debate about whether companies should simply stick to promoting their products or sell social causes.
Agnello Dias, CCO & Co-Founder & Creative Chairman, Taproot Dentsu DAN India, asserts that when brands wear the mantle of social activism, it's always going to be a delicate balance. “Social issues are social issues because they always have a polarising factor. And even if it is nuanced wrong, it can spread like wildfire,” he explains.
Dias feels Gillette may have set out with a fair objective, but with the world today being in the stranglehold of interpretation and the manner in which the brand went about executing it, had a strong backlash.
The brand’s latest TV campaign shifts the spotlight from social issues to local heroes like firefighters and personal trainers. The new ad, launched last week, stars Australian firefighter and personal trainer Ben Ziekenheiner. “I’ve been a firefighter for 19 years,” Ziekenheiner says in the ad.
Raghu Bhat, Founder & Copywriter, Scarecrow M&C Saatchi, believes the local heroes theme uses a typical advertising technique – celebrate the heroic underdog.
“It is definitely positive, safe and non-polarising. However, the only problem is that people may not be that ready to forget the earlier campaign that was negative and came across as men-shaming,” he adds.
“The aggressive tonality of ‘toxic masculinity’ made it look like a piece of extreme propaganda from the liberal lobby, exactly the kind of stuff that President Donald Trump keeps railing against. It’s easy to imagine the vast majority of ‘gun-owning, Republican-voting, daily-shaving Bible belt’ American men reject the campaign,” he remarks.
Bhat feels by changing the campaign, Gillette could be seen as riding the gravy train of purpose instead of standing for something. He concludes that brands need to be careful about purpose-led advertising, as for most, there is no higher purpose than profit.
Commenting on the shift in messaging, Manu Airan, Associate Brand Director for Gillette Australia and New Zealand, had said, “We have a very clear strategy when it comes to how we authentically connect with our consumers. We will continue to talk about what is important to Gillette, and that is representing men at their best and helping men do their best. That is not changing. We will continue to do that and demonstrate it in different ways.”
The company blamed the write-down primarily on a strengthening of US dollar. It said the non-cash impairment charge was also due to increased competition and a shrinking market for razors as men shave less frequently.
Apaksh Gupta, Founder & CEO, One Impression, opines that the brand is courageous to instil progressiveness into the society.
“Newness in brand communication connotes the courage to communicate with your consumers even if it involves taking a few risks. Especially in the case of an FMCG product, you have to go beyond your current fence of communication to ultimately create value for the users,” he says.
Harish Bijoor, Brand Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults iNc, says the brand has been at the forefront of experimentation with consumer themes. While some of these experiments have bombed, Gillette has learnt and corrected, Bijoor adds.
“What is important for a brand is what its set of consumers think and emote with and about. If the brand has the pulse of that in check, nothing will go wrong. Gillette erred on a couple of counts, at times wanting to force the pace of consumer-think. That bombed.”
“I still do believe the company is where it must be-- at the forefront of consumer experimentation,” Bijoor says.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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ShareSwapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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