For more than 120 years, Gillette has been committed to helping men look, feel and be their best. This goes beyond products. It’s about supporting men of every age and life stage on a personal journey to their best – and how men themselves can serve as a guide to the next generation.
Using Our Voice to Support The Best A Man Can Be
Our most powerful platform for celebrating the unique and diverse stories of today’s man is our global marketing and advertising. With thought-provoking and conversation-starting content, we highlight compelling stories of men working towards their personal best. Learn more about our campaigns here.
Bringing Out the Best in Our Communities
Gillette has been an active supporter of community-oriented non-profit organizations for more than a century, with especially deep ties in the cities where we have offices, manufacturing operations and employee populations. Since 2019, we have donated millions to organizations with a specific focus on the healthy social, emotional and physical development of young men and boys. Learn more about our partnerships here.
A Refined Focus on Role Models
In 2022, we announced a new and refined focus for Gillette’s purpose efforts: To ensure every boy grows up benefitting from positive role models. Boys today encounter an overwhelming number of choices and pressures as they figure out who they want to be when they grow up. Having supportive role models as guides along this journey can dramatically affect how boys experience and respond to these challenges. Learn more about our efforts and the organizations we’re supporting.
USING OUR VOICE TO SPARK GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
As one of the world’s largest marketers to men, Gillette is in a position to open dialogues on important topics. In 2019, we went viral for one such conversation, but it was far from the last time we’ve delved into topics of such importance. Keep reading for some of the most compelling Gillette storytelling in recent years, all of which seek to challenge traditional male stereotypes and start conversations about what “The Best A Man Can Get” looks like today.
US: We Believe
In 2019, Gillette put a fresh spin on its well-known tagline, “The Best A Man Can Get” with a viral conversation and multi-year campaign aimed at uncovering and celebrating what it means to be “The Best A Man Can Be” in today’s world, both inside and out. A three-year partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America was at the core of this work, helping us deliver lasting impact with young men nationwide.
Canada: First Shave
In Canada, we released "First Shave," an online-only film featuring the first shaving experience of a transgender man supported by his father. The ad's release was timed to coincide with Toronto's Inside Out Film Festival, where Gillette was a sponsor and featuring the video prior to a film screening.
France: The Man You Really Are
In France, Gillette continues to partner with students of the Kourtrajmé school to direct films that deconstruct stereotypes linked to masculinity. Through unique approaches to storytelling the milestone moments in a man’s life, we see how much modern masculinity continues to evolve.
UK: Made of What Matters
In the UK, Gillette launched, ”Made of What Matters,” a campaign that aims to inspire the next generation of men by showing that there is a code of play that exists in football and life that determines important traits that men carry both on and off the pitch to always show their best side. The campaign features a short film in highlighting the values that drive global ambassador Raheem Sterling, both on and off the pitch, which make him an inspiration and role model to all. This ongoing commitment also includes a partnership with youth education charity Football Beyond Borders (FBB) to help provide more young people with the inspiration, opportunity and support they need to fulfill their potential.
Spain: Hay Que Ser Muy Hombre
In Spain, we launched the "Hay Que Ser Muy Hombre" ("It Takes a Real Man") campaign that refreshes a famous Spanish expression saying that it takes courage to be yourself. The campaign will also include educational materials to allow high school teachers and university Professors to have conversations with teenagers about masculinity. The program will reach over 300 schools and over 20,000 teenagers.
India: Barber Shop Girls
#BarberShopGirls #ShavingStereotypes" is a film we created that tells the story of two girls, known as the Barbershop Girls of India, who are inspiring the next generation of men by redefining gender stereotypes. We are also expanding "Safalta Apni Mutthi MeinGuard;" a program that launched more than three years ago to reach 5,000 colleges and universities to provide practical training on resume writing, interview skills and insights on to succeed in the professional world
South Africa: Raising the Next Generation of Men
In South Africa, two out of three children are raised without their father to turn to for advice. It if often the women – mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters – who step up and play several roles. In honor of National Women's Day in South Africa, Gillette paid tribute to the women raising the next generation of South African men through a film that tells the story of Gogo (grandmother) Nozizwe and her grandson Akhona. Gillette South Africa is also partnering with The Character Company, a non-profit organization whose mentorship programs guide young boys into becoming the best men they can be.
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS THAT MOVE COMMUNITIES FORWARD
As Gillette’s reach and standing in the world expands, so too does our responsibility to serve our communities. In 2019, we amplified our long-standing commitments with a three-year, $3 million dollar pledge to support organizations addressing the social, emotional and physical growth of men and boys on the journey to achieve their personal best. Gillette provides financial and products resources to a host of organizations working to help men and boys be their best selves, including:
US: Boys & Girls Clubs of America In January 2019, Gillette committed to take action and support organizations that are helping boys and men on the journey to being their personal best. Our first partner in this commitment is Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Together, we undertook a year-long research study to better understand the best ways to support the social and emotional development of the nearly 1.1 million young men at Boys & Girls Clubs. Based on the learning, Gillette’s continued support enabled the creation of four new social and emotional development resources that are available to the more than 4,600 Clubs to engage male youth in discussions and activities to reinforce positive behavior. In addition, Gillette provided donations to at least 20 Clubs, which are used for programming focused on positive social and emotional development.
US: Confess Project The Confess Project began receiving Gillette “The Best Men Can Be” grant funding in 2020 to expand its movement into America's largest metropolitan cities. With Gillette’s multi-year support, The Confess Project trained nearly 1000 new barbers – putting them on track to impact one million boys, men of color, and families through its barbershop advocacy training program.
US: JSU Tiger Fund Athletic Foundation The impact of our partnership with NFL Legend, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, knows no bounds. As the head coach of Jackson State University football, Coach Prime leads by example, not only providing winning guidance to his athletes while bettering the whole of Jackson State towards athletic and academic excellence. Our partnership with JSU Tiger Fund Athletic Foundation has allowed us to support student-athletes through their academic journeys, preparing them for what’s next both on-and-off the field. Our contributions are dedicated to the Tiger Center for Student-Athletes, built to offer a comprehensive framework tailored to improve the academic skill set of each student-athlete.
US: The Cost of Winning The Cost of Winning is a documentary series that follows the against-all-odds story of St. Frances Academy's football program. Gillette was one of the production partners for the series, inspired by the strength and dedication of the football team. Gillette was particularly inspired by athletes Ace and Kobe and utilized its The Best Men Can Be grant program to award each young man a $25,000 scholarship to support their continued education and efforts to reach even greater heights on and off the field.
US: Sharp Dressed Man As a brand that encourages men to be proud of their physical appearance, Gillette was thrilled to contribute to the growth of an organization like Sharp Dressed Man. Our financial contribution supported its efforts to provide the look necessary to men in need to boost their confidence, giving them the power to present their best selves to future employers and continue the journey to success.
UK: Football Beyond Borders Gillette UK continues its multi-year, multi-pronged relationship with Football Beyond Borders (FBB). The recent ‘Gamechangers’ program – an educational effort designed and delivered with support from long-standing Gillette ambassador, Ian Wright – gives young people the opportunity to study British Black history, the experiences of others, and the positive values and behaviors that contribute to a more fair and equal society.
