Gillette has experienced a flurry of adoration for its new transgender shaving ad on social media.
As of late, the P&G-owned brand has made a habit of releasing campaigns that attempt to break cultural norms.
Earlier this year, it changed its tag line from ‘a best a man can get’ to ‘the best a man can be’ as part of its initiative to campaign against violence between boys, normalising sexual harassment and men’s mental health.
However, the new advert shows a father teaching his transgender son how to shave for the first time.
Samson Bonkeabantu Brown from Toronto, Canada, says: “Growing up, I was always trying to figure out what kind of man I wanted to become and I'm still trying to figure out what kind of man that I want to become.”
Since its launch it has received worldwide traction and has since been aired on The Ellen Show hosted by LGBT activist Ellen DeGeneres.
Meanwhile, consumers have been endorsing the advert on Twitter for using its platform in a ‘meaningful’ way.
After an unsettling day, to see some of our biggest brands and companies standing beside transgender people is really empowering. @Gillette could sell razors a hundred different ways but this is moving and feels really meaningful. ?♥️??????https://t.co/90CAk5zxqj
— Mermaids ??♀️ (@Mermaids_Gender) May 26, 2019
.@Gillette’s new ad shows a father teaching his trans son how to shave. We’re not crying, you’re crying. ?
— The Mask You Live In (@MaskYouLiveIn) May 25, 2019
Bravo to brave companies like Gillette that are paving the way for a more inclusive world! pic.twitter.com/ABwd1k981C
As a black trans man who works in advertising, this is... Everything.
— sad and boujee (@itsjacksonbbz) May 25, 2019
This is the kind of work I dream of creating some day.***https://t.co/VTXa6Aw0N0
Despite the success, the ad did face some criticism.
Last razor I’m buying from @Gillette. Go woke go broke.
— orlando (@odejes1) June 1, 2019
The new @Gillette ad features a transgender boy shaving for the first time.
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) May 28, 2019
It’s a little much to normalize and promote high-school-aged kids undergoing hormone therapy and gender reassignment. Don’t ya think?
Gillette also came fourth in the top 10 UK beauty brands for Earned Value Management (EMV) this year so far, from £99,992 to £9.2m, mainly thanks to its #MeToo-inspired campaign.
Watch the video here:
Read more from the brand here:
- Gillette responds to divisive #MeToo inspired toxic masculinity shaving advert
- The best a man can get: Here are the most talked about beauty brands of 2019 so far
- Gillette becomes latest brand to partner with TerraCycle on new sustainability effort
