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I got really annoyed by it. Not 100% sure why but felt it patronising
Not jumping on you here (jumps), but maybe this is more your issue than theirs? When I first read your post, it sounded like #notallmen. A lot of what you are saying is true, they need to also follow through with what they say in this ad and be an advocate for change (sorting out their pricing discrimination, promoting different attitudes in an ongoing manner with etc).
We do need long term change, but we also do need more large corporations standing up and saying "this is not ok". The reaction by a lot of butthurt manly #notallmen men, kind of shows that. I'm not grouping your post in with those, btw.
Sidebar but sort of relevant. mrs_com is pregnant and we obviously go to a lot of appointments. Every visit, I wait outside for the first few minutes. This is to check that she is safe, that I am not coercing her or am not a danger to her or the baby. At first my reaction was to be offended, but then when I got over myself (thankfully that was pretty quick) I felt two things; 1. sad that this needs to be part of the process and 2. glad that it is part of the process as clearly there are cases where this is relevant and necessary to save a mother's/baby's life.
I suppose my point is by sharing that, yes there should be more done to address the route cause of why that needs to happen, but taking that direct action is still valid and useful. As is an organisation calling out toxic masculinity in the most public way they can.
And they don't follow through, then fuck them sky high.
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My two cents - agree with a lot of the points in ^vid^ and also agree we should be brave enough to point out dangerous behaviour - racism/sexism/toxic masculinity.
However, when my gf showed me the ad I got really annoyed by it. Not 100% sure why but felt it patronising and definitely jumping on a band wagon rather than creating genuine social change, which is very difficult and needs many years of commitment, investment and dedication. I don't think Gillette will/have signed up for this. Feels like this campaign will have a limited shelf life.
It's good it's caused debate, similar to #MeToo movement but also feel it'll entrench peoples views rather than help form a common ground and consensus. At the end of the day, it's an ad and I'd rather hear more about how Gillette are combating societal problems on the ground over decades of investment rather than an ad for virtue signalling/pushing product (Christ I hate myself for typing that -sound like an alt right Reddit thread).
An example is Doves sustained campaign to promoting plus sized models/non traditional models in their ads. So hope Gillette do something similar but I'm not holdingy breath. Perhaps as a cynical, burnt out marketing bod I'm too negative on this.
Death threats and abusive emails to the agency though? Christ how has society become so fucking divided, reactionary and hateful over an ad that's ultimately saying 'Don't be a dick'.
Again, it's just an ad but all so fucking depressing.
NEED MOAR MEMES.