‘Culture doesn’t wait for your brand to catch up’: Grey Group’s Jason Kahner on that Gillette ad
Jason Kahner, Grey Group global president of health and wellness, has spoken out about the brand’s controversial ‘Best a man can be’ campaign, which attempted to tackle toxic masculinity, and turned its traditional ‘Best a man can get’ positioning on its head.
Kahner said the #MeToo movement highlighted the fact that men around the world weren’t, in fact, being the best they could be. Gillette saw this as an opportunity to communicate its purpose to the standard men should set for the next generation.
“Last year, it was hard to argue that men were acting at their finest. Women had rightfully brought to the attention of the #MeToo movement to the scene, at a time where men were actually being quite silent. And interestingly, this coincided with the 30th anniversary of Gillette’s tagline, the iconic tagline, ‘The best a man can get’, and you can argue that this really wasn’t at this point in time,” Kahner said.
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How is losing 8 billion not a complete failure?
The lost consumers aren’t coming back either, they’ve found effective cheaper alternatives (like dollar shave club)
So badly done,so heavy handed,so accusatory ,so hectoring..I could go on.
This a fail of monumental proportions Gillette.
Just admit it and move on.
I am one of the many people who watched this ad and decided to not buy Gillette products again. I’d describe myself as politically centre-right, and I imagine there are a lot people who fit into this category who use(d) Gillette products. This ad was bizarre, when someone like Anna Kasparian is put forward as the voice as moral reason, I know that that’s a brand I want nothing to do with. I am not pro sexual assault, and I personally don’t know anyone who is (of course).
I was in the audience when he spoke. I don’t think it helped his credibility by not acknowledging the $8 billion write down Gillette has endured…
More seemed a defence of what they had done – and giving advice to others from those involved with such a monumental screw up, without acknowledging the elephant in the room (the financials) – probably not the most beneficial forum on that day’s agenda
The sooner he stops talking about this rolled-gold disaster, the sooner people will forget it.