Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for The Conversation, Alan Abitbol explains what went wrong with Gillette's campaign against toxic masculinity and how it became so controversial. According to Abitbol, many viewers are questioning the company’s motives because this social issues is not what the brand is known for. 

· How are other companies taking a stand on social issues? How can companies show that they are truly devoted to a social movement? 

· Interested in reading more? Check out this article about the new report on masculinity identity.

Gillette has launched a new marketing campaign, “The Best Men Can Be,” with an ad that has gone viral.

The ad begins by depicting boys bullying other boys, women being harassed and cat-called, and a group of men excusing all of it as “boys will be boys.” Gillette then asks if this is “the best a man can get.” The rest of the ad portrays men pushing back against other men’s bad behavior.

It’s been polarizing, to say the least.

On one side, the campaign is being praised for tackling masculine stereotypes and challenging men to be better.

On the other side, some are saying that Gillette risks turning off customers who think the brand is shamelessly capitalizing on the #MeToo movement and practicing “leftist” politics. There are already calls for the brand to be boycotted.

So why has this ad caused such a large divide?

In my research on companies’ use of pro-social messages, backlash usually arises due to some combination of the cause itself, a poor fit between the brand and the cause, and suspicion of the company’s true motives.

Read the full article about Gillette's campaign against toxic masculinity by Alan Abitbol at The Conversation.