Today a piece of content only goes viral in two conditions either it is extremely weird or it has the power to bring change. The blogger is a fan of the latter. The conversation around the purpose-driven brand has improved and improved since the last few years.
The new addition to this trend is men grooming Brands: Gillette and The Man Company.
A few days back The Man company launched a brand film featuring Ayushmaan Khurrana. Apart from his prolific acting, the Man is also known for his heartfelt poems. The brand along with took the poetic route to shatter labels associated with men with this video titled “What makes a true gentleman” Each line questioned the idea of masculinity and patriarchy. The video went viral across all social media channels after it went live.
Gillette India has also taken the same path, through their new Brand film they crushing notions of an “ideal man.”Gillette has been in the men’s grooming business for the last 100 years. It has revamped its identity from a dominant men’s brand to a sympathetic men’s brand globally. It is breaking stereotypes related to men for a while now through its advertisements and Brand Films. Their last ad campaign “The best a man can be” which was aimed to encourage men to be their best, received a mixed response from the public.
With their new brand film in India, they are taking one step towards changing the conversation around manhood. They have beautifully presented the real-life story of Lt Col M K Sinha SM (Retd.) and his father to make the younger generation understand the true meaning of masculinity. Titled “Man Enough” the brand wants to send across a message that a man can also express his pain through tears. The catch here is that they have represented the vulnerability through an army man who is always expected to be tough and rigid. This film is a part of Gillette’s broader campaign #ShavingsSterotypes.
Both these brands aim to inspire the younger generation to break free from the limits laid by society. They have started portraying themselves as a responsible brand that stands for a purpose to change the world. The reason why I think these campaigns work because people can build associations with what the brand stands for. Also, both the brands stayed away from the typical placement of products and brand names in the video.
Gillette and The Man Company have made their way out from the clutter of content successfully and have made their mark. So, the purpose is a major differentiating factor today among brands and if they can crack the purpose they should stand for they will always be a step ahead from their competitors
Saloni Ginnare 