Gillette: Transgender Shaving Ad

a reply to: FredT

So I'll ask you:

Is this an ad for a razor or a PSA?

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: FredT
So I'll ask you:
Is this an ad for a razor or a PSA?

It's a marketing plan. Seems to have worked...and as such things are the result of carefully formulated research, one can only assume that they deduced that it would have more of a positive reaction than negative.
Love triumphs over hate.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: FredT

So I'll ask you:

Is this an ad for a razor or a PSA?

Its a razor ad plain and simple. They chose to portray a transgendered kid and while they may have had an underlying message they wanted to promote, this is still a heartless corporation and they were looking for the inevitable outrage and or hype to keep it in the headlines or talked about. Lets face it from an "outrage" standpoint its pretty a pretty mild one if you really look at it. 10 years ago? it may have been a bigger deal.

originally posted by: FredT
From an advertising standpoint, its a win as we are all talking about it. There is nothing more stogy and boring that shaving gear honestly. Differences in price? Yes, but as far as technology? they are all about the same.

Incorrect.

Advertising efficacy is gauged by sales, not by lip service.

Tim Horton's has learned this the hard way. It appears that Gillette will as well.

Until Gillette massively ups their product lines (or brings the current product prices down to their competitors price points) and online capacities, they will continue to lose market share.

a reply to: peck420

What was the Tim's controversy?

There are options
www.kickstarter.com...Lazer Razors

Or the cool new way to go, Burning that # off (blindfolded). There must be a facial hair video here somewhere, if so I will surely find it.

originally posted by: Autorico
What was the Tim's controversy?

They bought into their own advertising and forgot about what made them "Canada's Coffee Provider".

They went 19 years as one of Canada's most reputable companies. Now they are plummeting, I think around 65-70th place, and their sales are matching that descent.

If your products do not meet the perceived value/expectation of the client, advertising becomes your enemy. This is where Gillette currently is. There is a host of options, the vast majority on par with Gillette, for cheaper expense, as well as a host of options that are, imho, superior to Gillette and cheaper.

If an ad bothers you because you don't identify with the actor in the ad... maybe you should take some time to think about that.

If an ad bothers you because you don't identify with the actor in the ad... maybe you should take some time to think about that.

a reply to: peck420

Again, its about buzz and new markets. Gillette held a monopoly with 70% of the market till 2010. Someone found a niche and they are struggling to keep it above 50% since.

It makes sense to try to expand you base.

a reply to: SciGuyWest

I've taken time to think about...good advice. Razors work on both pee pee's and VaVa's..the one thing that doesn't work is procreation through cock on cock or Vag on Vag. Being gay is real and welcomed in my book...just never underestimate the power of a D on V "crime" Beautiful babies are made that way.

It's just marketing. They're trying to evoke feelings in a small target audience and inspire customer loyalty. One of my friends is a transguy and he's got more facial hair than my bio-brother ever will have, bless his chin. Of course there's an agenda. Money wants to be made. It happens to be timed to when Pride events are happening over the world, so it makes sense, they're hopping on the bandwagon hoping to get some money from a niche.

Don't like it? Cool. Stop watching TV. Get a straight razor and a sharpening stone. Don't even bother to shave. There are so many solutions to this which will contribute to your betterment. I haven't seen the ad. Haven't watched television in years. And so I will feel nothing towards it and continue on not making disposable razor waste by buying small packages and throwing them out. I have thus given them none of my energy, none of my money, and my life goes on unimpeded by any small annoyance.

originally posted by: sapien82
someone should just do a totally over the top male ad

no sexism , just over the top manliness

originally posted by: LookingAtMars
I am a bit confused. So its a he that was a her? In the ad it looked like there really was a beard there. Is that from hormones I guess? Did he used to be a bearded lady or what?

Had an operation called an addadicktomy.

originally posted by: FredT
a reply to: peck420

Again, its about buzz and new markets. Gillette held a monopoly with 70% of the market till 2010. Someone found a niche and they are struggling to keep it above 50% since.

It makes sense to try to expand you base.

What new market? The market of humans that groom? Whoops. I guess they forgot that 'tran's isn't new, and they have been grooming just as ferociously as the vast majority of us since forever.

Hair removal and control is older than written words. There is no 'new markets', there is only tools that are new to the market, which Gillette did not present in this ad campaign.

a reply to: Peeple

That statement is going to give me nightmares for years to come. Thank you for that.

originally posted by: Edumakated
Gillette released an ad showing a transgender (female to male) shaving for the first time with his father. All of us guys know this is one of those special moments growing up. Dad shows you how to shave. Dad shows you how to tie a tie. Etc.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why Gillette is seeking to alienate their male customers. Earlier this year, they released an ad trying to show support for the MeToo movement by putting down "toxic masculinity."

Trans folks are a very small percentage of the population. I'd love to see the marketing research study showing that targeting this very small subset of people is worth alienating your core customer base. The only thing I can think of is that Gillette has decided they want to focus on women and this kind of social justice advertising would help with female customers.

Whatever happened to just making a good product? Why do you need to make a political or social statement? I've never bought any brand because I thought the brand was "woke".

Anyways, figured it would be a good discussion topic.

My first shave came when I was about 5 years old. My dad gave me a razor with the guard on it, lathered my face with shaving cream, and I thought I was shaving with him. I did the same to my oldest kids, and will do the same with my 2 year old when he turns 4 or 5. When it was time for a real shave, I already knew what I was doing. This commercial is just as gross as the Nike commercial with the has-been QB in it.

I haven't used Gillette in over a decade, I found a brand recently called Bromley's and it's a far nicer razor than the vibrator razor Gillette came up with. And this one doesn't have to vibrate.

a reply to: sapien82

Those of us still able to think for ourselves should be outraged by this whole trans agenda.

I think the best thing is to not even give it the time of day anymore.

Ignorance is bliss in this case as the assault on biology is almost laughable. Perspective on reality has to be pretty skewed to even entertain the argument imho.

The nutcases really do run the asylum.

originally posted by: Grenade
Those of us still able to think for ourselves should be outraged by this whole trans agenda.

What is the trans agenda?