PG Procter and Gamble Co

By Aisha Al-Muslim 

Gillette's new ad campaign invoking the #MeToo movement is the latest test of how big consumer brands can navigate social movements to appeal to millennials without turning off customers who either don't agree with their message or don't believe it is well-executed.

The nearly two-minute ad from Procter & Gamble Co.'s Gillette tries to tackle sexual harassment, bullying and "toxic masculinity." "Is this the best a man can get?" the ad released online Monday asks.

The ad, which plays on the tagline Gillette has used for three decades, "The Best A Man Can Get," has been viewed about 18 million times on YouTube. Reaction has been divided: with 901,000 dislikes on YouTube and 468,000 likes as of Thursday afternoon.

In the first three days of the ad's release, there were more than 1.6 million mentions of Gillette on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as blogs, forums and news sites, according to data from Brandwatch, a social-media monitoring company. Tuesday had the most mentions with more than 893,000, above Gillette's daily average of about 1,300 mentions for the previous 25 days.

The sentiment around the ad started mostly positive on Monday (62%) and turned more negative by Wednesday (54%), Brandwatch found. The discussion was split 50/50 between men and women.

Nearly three-fourths of consumers said the brand "is socially responsible," up from about 55%, according to a survey of 2,200 people conducted Tuesday and Wednesday by Morning Consult.

But the survey also showed how the reaction to the ad fell along political lines, with most Democrats giving it high marks (73%) and less than half of Republicans reacting favorably (48%), Morning Consult found. About 26% of Republicans rated it highly negative, compared with 8% of Democrats.

Actor James Woods and talk-show host Piers Morgan have lashed out against Gillette on Twitter over the ad and vowed not to use their products again. The two were among the most-mentioned Twitter accounts surrounding the controversy as they received support from like-minded Twitter users and became the targets of contention from users who approved of Gillette's ad, Brandwatch found.

"Gillette was trying to make noise, but the ad was disjointed and it didn't make sense" for male consumers, said Ronn Torossian, chief executive of 5W Public Relations. "It was including a lot of messages, and it was all over the place."

In response to criticism, a P&G spokesman said the ad "is much more than a video -- it is a commitment to spark and contribute to positive change through our voice as an advertiser and our actions as a brand and a company." He said P&G has joined with the Boys & Girls Club of America and will donate $3 million over the next three years toward its programs.

Some Twitter users who were upset about the ad showed photos or videos of themselves throwing their Gillette razors in trash cans or tearing them apart, using hashtags like #BoycottGillette and #GilletteFail. Others have posted photos of their growing beards in a sign of protest.

"Things like boycotts generally are not long-lasting," Mr. Torossian said. "This will have very little effect on their bottom line."

The controversy comes as Gillette, which accounts for more than half of the U.S. men's razor business, competes for market share with Edgewell Personal Care Co.'s Schick and upstarts like Harry's, Unilever N.V.'s Dollar Shave Club and other smaller brands. The hair-removal category in the U.S., which includes blades and razors for men and women, is a $4 billion market, according to Nielsen data.

P&G, one of the world's biggest marketers, is among the companies that in recent years have used advertising to promote stances on social issues, such as gender equality, immigration and gun control. The 181-year-old company has been lauded for its "Like a Girl" ad campaign for feminine-care brand Always and "Stress Test" for deodorant brand Secret. Last year, the company won an Emmy award for "The Talk," which shows African-American parents discussing racism with their children.

"P&G learned to make their stale brands more present, they have to take risks," said Michael Priem, founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based adtech firm Modern Impact.

Nike Inc.'s ad campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who had led player protests for racial justice during pregame national anthem ceremonies, generated both praise and boycott threats when it made its debut last September.

Nike appeared to weather any backlash from the effort, which was part of the 30th anniversary of the footwear giant's "Just Do It" campaign. The company last month reported sales rose 10% in the latest quarter, driven by growth in both shoes and apparel.

Write to Aisha Al-Muslim at aisha.al-muslim@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2019 18:18 ET (23:18 GMT)

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