Gilette Ad: is this the best a man can get?

Gilette Ad: is this the best a man can get?

- Product: It’s about a razor for men and for their beards. it’s about shaving their beards. It’s supposed to be a masculine product. This is an ad targeting men only.

- Slogan: “the best a man can get”: apparently, at this time, it was.  

- Music/video: We feel that the music is proving men’s virility. The voice is deep. The music is dynamic.

- Attitude: They have to be strong. He had to seduce, be bold. He must consider himself a champion.

- Stereotypes: A man must practice a sport (American football, athleticism…); a man is not supposed to be fat, he must look beautiful and charming; they must teach their sons how to shave and how to behave in a manly way.  

- Lyrics: It is written “it’s what we’ve always done”: here, stereotypes are reinforced by this advertising. Men are always going to behave that way, nothing will change.  

What’s the message conveyed?  

A man should always take care of his physical appearance. Men who shave are the ones who are successful in life (with their jobs, with their wives and sons, in sports…). The slogan is too strong: a razor is supposed to be the best a man could get.

The ad is not relevant because they focus more on the men’s life rather than on the product itself.

Ad: 2019

- the 80s ad is ripped off at the beginning of the ad. It’s caused by the young generation.

- In this ad, we have more diversity in men (white men, black men, over-sized men…). We no longer have the representation of muscular men but all men are concerned.

- Women are more present in this ad. They are seen as human beings as well. We can see how they were/are treated by a majority of men.

- the music is slower with no lyrics expect for the voice over. Towards the end, the music purposely is even slower in order for the viewers to realize what they have seen all along the video.

- Relationship with children:

• The mom and her son: the son is crying and her mom is bringing him comfort. She can have a proper relationship with her son. She can be a model to him too.
• The father and his son: in the previous ad, we saw a father teaching his son how to be a good-looking man whereas in this ad, the father is teaching him how to be a kind person.
• The father and his daughter: the father can be a model for his daughter “I am strong”.

- People who need to change: people from the previous generations.

- Taboo topics are dealt with/tackled.  (sexual harassment…)

- New slogan: is this the best a man can get?

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