If you’re looking for an ad that’ll make you think, look no further. Gillette’s “We Believe” campaign surfaced in 2019 during the height of the #MeToo movement and talks of “toxic masculinity” and immediately became a controversial topic of conversation. The ad’s aim was to take their age-old slogan—“the best a man can get”—and twist it to fit progressive social causes—“the best men can be”.
The commercial illustrates the history of bullying and harassment that we’ve been brought up with—it’s everywhere from movies to music to our very own homes and the people we surround ourselves with. The stereotype of what a man “should” be has become so ingrained in our culture that for many, it’s easy to brush off issues such as bullying and sexism and chalk it up to: “Boys will be boys.” While some think Gillette is trashing men, others say that they are only challenging men to be better and to do better. Gillette explains that there are already men who are breaking the cycle of “toxic masculinity” but it’s time for others to be held accountable— “Because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.”