Gillette ad stirs online uproar
NEW YORK A Gillette ad for men invoking the MeToo movement is sparking intense online backlash, with accusations that it talks down to men and cheap Canada Goose groups calling canada goose for a boycott. But Gillette says it doesn’t mind sparking a discussion. Since it debuted Monday, the Internet only ad has garnered nearly 19 million views on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter a level of buzz canada goose outlet online uk that any brand would covet.
The two minute ad canada goose clearance sale from Procter Gamble’s razor brand canada goose outlet store shows men and boys engaging in bullying and sexual harassment and encourages men to ”say the right thing” canada goose outlet uk sale and ”act the right way.” Taking on bullying, sexual harassment and toxic masculinity is a big task for a razor brand. Many critics took to social media saying it was insulting to canada goose outlet new york city men and laden with stereotypes.
The uproar comes as Gillette battles upstarts like Harry’s, Dollar Shave Club and others for millennial dollars. market a decade ago. Last year, its market share dropped to below 50 per cent, according to Euromonitor
Allen Adamson, co founder of branding firm Metaforce, called the ad canada goose uk black friday a ”hail Mary” pass from the 117 year old company. But he added that online buzz, whether positive or negative, rarely makes a long term difference for a marketer since memory fades quickly.
”Getting noticed and getting buzz is no easy uk canada goose outlet task, and they’ve managed to break goose outlet canada through,” Adamson said. ”Most advertisers advertise, and no one notices because there is so much noise in the marketplace, so just getting noticed Is a big win, especially for low interest category like a razor.”
On canada goose outlet canada the flip canada goose factory outlet side, it probably won’t sell many razors either, he said.
Gillette’s ad echoes other attempts by major advertisers to take on social issues. Pepsi pulled an ad in 2017 showing Kendall Jenner giving a cop a Pepsi during a protest and apologized after an outcry that canada goose outlet store buy canada goose jacket cheap uk it trivialized ”Black Lives Matter” and other protest movements. canada goose uk shop Nike polarized the nation with an ad featuring ex NFL player Colin Kaepernick who started a wave of protests among NFL players of police brutality, racial inequality and other social issues.
Sales weren’t affected in either canada goose outlet of those cases. When controversy does affect sales, it is usually over something more substantive than an ad. Lululemon saw sales tumble in 2013 after a string of PR disasters including manufacturing problems that caused their pricey yoga pants to become see through and fat shaming comments from their founder. But even that was short lived.
Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR, said that much like Nike’s Kaepernick ad, Gillette likely knew the ad would garner canada goose outlet shop online debate.
”Nike knew what they were getting themselves into,” Torossian said.
Pankaj Bhalla, North America brand director on Gillette says the controversy was not the intended goal of the ad, https://www.outletcanadagoose.biz which is part of a larger campaign that takes a look at redefining Gillette’s longtime tagline ”The Best a Man Can Get,” in different ways. Another online ad features one handed NFL rookie Shaquem Griffin.
While he doesn’t want to lose sales or a boycott over the ad, ”we would not discourage conversation or discussion because of that,” he said.
”Our ultimate aim is to groom the next generation official canada goose outlet of men, and if any of this helps even in a little way we’ll consider that a success,” he said.
Larry Chiagouris, marketing professor at Pace University, is skeptical.
”Treating people with respect, who can argue with that, but they’re kind of late to the party here, that’s Canada Goose Parka the biggest problem,” cheap canada goose he said. ”It’s gratuitous and self serving.”.