Gilette: The Controversy of 'We Believe'

Gillette made a big impression on consumers with a Super Bowl ad using the tagline "The Best
a Man Can Get." For 30 years, the company successfully reinforced the high quality of its
products via the tagline and charged a price premium yet gained market share. In 2005, mega-
marketer Procter and Gamble acquired a highly valuable brand for $57 billion.

It launched 'we believe: the best men can be', for Men who are advocates, mentors, and leaders
in their communities, actively demonstrating what it means to be a great man every day. The
new ad takes its 30-year-old slogan and replaces it with "The Best a Man Can Get" and turns
it into an introspective reflection on "toxic" masculinity. The company says it wants men to
hold each other "accountable". The film shows how men can do better by actively pointing out
toxic behaviour, intervening when other men catcall or sexually harass, and helping protect
their children from bullies.

Gillette market share has dropped from 70% to 50% over the past decade due to low priced
competitors. The blades and razors category, of which Gillette is a primary component,
plummets in market share to its lowest point since P&G acquired the company in
2005(Annexure 1a & b)

The campaign has sparked a debate about the next generation of masculinity in light of the
'Me Too' scandals. Its message, urging men to be better, divided the viewers. It got more than
12 million views on YouTube in 48 hours and generated more dislike than likes.
Annexure 1a

(The P&G market share in the blades and razors category has been stable since the acquisition
of Gillette in 2005 — about 70%, up until 2016 when it took a 5-p.p. dive (7% relative decline
year over year) and remained at 65% until 2019 when it saw its biggest change ever by
declining another 5 p.p. (7.7% relative decline year over year).

Annexure 1b

Source: https://www.pginvestor.com/corporate-profile/default.asp