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The best an ad can get

As Terry O'Reilly has said countless times in countless different ways on Under The Influence, his regular weekly CBC Radio show about the advertising industry, the best advertising doesn't shout "BUY! BUY! BUY!" at the consumer.
Neil

As Terry O'Reilly has said countless times in countless different ways on Under The Influence, his regular weekly CBC Radio show about the advertising industry, the best advertising doesn't shout "BUY! BUY! BUY!" at the consumer. Instead, it offers a solution to a problem the consumer is having, even if he or she doesn't even know it's a problem.

Hungry? That's a problem. How about a burger?

Fridge empty? That's a problem. Did you know your local supermarket has a big sale on?

Not a lot of money? That's a problem. Here's reduced prices on some products you want.

Too much money? Even that's a problem. Here are some luxury goods for you to buy.

The problem advertising tries to solve isn't just the consumer's problem, it's also the advertiser's problem. Keeping sales and revenues strong and growing, increasing market share and beating the competition is the problem advertisers are trying to solve with their marketing efforts.

That's the lens in which to view the nearly two-minute spot We Believe: The Best Men Can Be that Gillette unveiled online this week.

The ad takes "the best a man can get," Gillette's longtime advertising slogan for its men's shaving and personal grooming products, and turns it on its ear. Instead of a clean shaven face attracting hot women being the best a man can get, the spot dives headfirst into modern gender politics in the era of anti-bullying efforts and the #MeToo movement. By the end of the ad, it's clear that "the best a man can be," the newly updated slogan, means standing up to bullies, supporting sexual assault victims, treating women as equals, having no tolerance towards unwanted sexual advances and encouraging other men to do the same.

Some men see the ad as an attack on masculinity and are threatening to boycott. Others have pointed out that Gillette made billions over decades selling razor blades and shaving cream through advertising advocating for the vision of maleness it now criticizes.

The conversation about gender equality is an important one that has been going on for decades and will be ongoing. Gillette's ad is merely the company inserting itself into the conversation.

But what's in it for Gillette? What's the problem Gillette is trying to solve, both for itself and for its customers?

The spot had been seen nearly 17 million times on YouTube since it debuted Thursday morning, five days after it was first posted. While people are talking about the ad's messages about anti-bullying, anti-sexism, inclusion and positive role models, they are also talking about Gillette. That's a huge win in the short term.

In the long term, the ad is a savvy (and cynical, depending on the viewer's politics) move to rebrand Gillette and reposition the company and its product in the marketplace.

Long gone are the days when NBA superstar Michael Jordan refused to speak out on racial inequality for fear of angering some Nike customers. These days, athletes are expected to speak out on a variety of social issues and more than a few realize this not only improves their reputation with fans, it enhances their brand and makes them even more valuable to companies looking for celebrity endorsements.

Any knowledgeable National Football League fan will say Colin Kaepernick is somewhere between being a decent quarterback and a second-string guy to bring in if the starter falters or gets hurt. Even big fans of Kaepernick would admit he's not an elite player, meaning that if he was playing, he wouldn't be anyone's first pick for a national marketing campaign.

His protests during the playing of the national anthem and then the fact no team signed him to play this past season after he was cut by the San Francisco 49ers have made him far more valuable, which is why Nike signed him to endorse their products and star in a commercial late last year that sent many of the same messages about equality and empowerment that the Gillette ad now does.

Nike and Gillette realize that customer loyalty is a fickle thing without an emotional connection to the product and the brand. Forging that connection through progressive politics may lose a few customers but their market analysis clearly showed the opportunity to grow loyalty amongst existing customers while attracting new business was too good to pass up.

Gillette lays its cards right on the table about its long-term strategy with the final words spoken in the ad: "Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow."

No self-respecting man wants to be yesterday's man so using Gillette products both deals with unwanted body hair while also identifying that man as a man of tomorrow. Problem solved for the customer.

No company wants to be identified as yesterday's company selling yesterday's products to yesterday's consumer. The ad proclaims Gillette as tomorrow's company selling tomorrow's products. Problem solved for the advertiser.

Like the Nike ad, the Gillette commercial is a positive step in the right direction of removing social stereotypes and encouraging responsible behaviour.

But just because shoes and razors aren't prominently featured doesn't mean Nike and Gillette aren't trying to sell something.

-- Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout

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