Gillette faces backlash and boycott over #MeToo-inspired ad which tackles 'toxic masculinity'
The nearly two-minute ad opens with a series of news reports on bullying, #MeToo and toxic masculinity as the narrator asks 'Is this the best a man can get?'
Gillette decided to take on bullying, sexism, and also sexual harassment with a powerful new ad which has been inspired by the #MeToo movement and aims to put a complete stop to 'toxic masculinity'. Shortly after its release, many customers took to Twitter to call out the ad and claimed that Gillette had 'just insulted their own user base'. Most of those who decided to speak out against the ad were males.
Over the last three decades, the brand has been using the tagline 'The Best A Man Can Get' and but the new ad twisted the script by seeming to put the responsibility of changing social norms and preventing the mistreatment of women on men.