View Full Version : Gilette pain from Super Bowl "Toxic Masculinity" ad
Singlestack
08-01-2019, 08:28
https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/07/31/gillettes-woke-ad-insulted-men-cost-pg-billions/?utm_source=rsmorningbriefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&bcid=d4baa59646612a7bdf8424d87739c943
Was glad to hear this, as my use of Gilette shaving products stopped the next day. Gilette added to the names of other companies I won't buy from: Target, Dicks, Starbux, Jax,....only thing I disagree with is they have lost me as a customer for life. Apology, dropping the SJW crap, etc won't matter a bit to me. Much better options out there.
The personal product-driven mega-corporation Proctor & Gamble had a pretty successful run last quarter, even beating Wall Street predictions. Only one of their brands found themselves deeply in the negative, and it just so happens to be the one that insulted its customer base in the name of being ?woke.?
According to Reuters, Gillette suffered a net loss of billions of dollars last quarter. That?s billions with a ?b?:
However, P&G reported a net loss of about $5.24 billion, or $2.12 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, due to an $8 billion non-cash writedown of Gillette. For the same period last year, P&G?s net income was $1.89 billion, or 72 cents per share.
According to Reuters, P&G chalked the billions in dollars lost up ?to foreign exchange fluctuations, increased competition and a contracting market for blades and razors as consumers in developed markets shave less frequently.?
They?re partly right. A net loss of that much money can only mean that those who do shave have abandoned Gillette en masse, and rightly so. Gillette?s commercial (https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/01/14/gillette-razors-latest-woke-brand-tackle-toxic-masculinity/) that blanketed the male gender with the accusation of ?toxic masculinity? while using feminist buzzwords and clips of hard-left news organizations was one of the most hated commercials of the past decade.
As P&G continued to see profits go up for all of their brands, Gillette began suffering profit drops (https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/04/25/gillette-feeling-burn-thanks-toxic-masculinity-ad/) that were revealed last April. Apparently, the drops never stopped.
Perhaps P&G isn?t willing to come forward yet with the fact that they made a monumental error in assuming men would take the ?toxic masculinity? commercial well, but they should soon. The brand is damaged enough to lose billions, and men aren?t coming back, especially with cheaper alternatives embracing men for who they are and not assuming the worst about them.
I personally go out of my way to not buy Gillette products of any kind over the insult and I know many men who do the same. The commercial wasn?t just a call to fight toxic masculinity, it was an attack on men from a company known to create commercials that specialize in attacking the male gender (https://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2019/01/17/surprise-director-production-company-behind-insulting-gillette-ad-man-hating-radical-feminists/).
The sooner P&G fires whoever thought this was a good idea and begins to move toward making amends with its customer base, the better, but it may be politically stuck now. Walking back their stance may cause them a lot of trouble with the SJW community who know how to raise a mob.
As I?ve said before, however, the mob is more bark than bite. If P&G can show some backbone and apologize, they will invite the wrath of the SJW mob but they may begin to staunch the blood flow from a very still-wide wound.
I still have a bunch of Gillette-brand razors that I bought at Costco before their decision to do that idiotic ad campaign. I'm still using them, but after I run out, the handles are going in the trash and I'm switching to another brand; probably Harry's.
Whoops, lol. Looks like they are experiencing a different kind of "woke," in the form of immediate and tangible results of their actions.
Someone should make a spoof commercial where Gillette is acting like a clown in public eye and all the other companies are saying "Come on dude, don't be like that."
I still have a bunch of Gillette-brand razors that I bought at Costco before their decision to do that idiotic ad campaign. I'm still using them, but after I run out, the handles are going in the trash and I'm switching to another brand; probably Harry's.
That's what I did. I signed up for a month subscription/automatic shipment from Harry's, let them deliver a bunch of blades to my house, then canceled the subscription... easy peasy and they're good quality blades that last a while.
Most of the large corporations are on board with this sort of thing.
Losing profits apparently is something that is considered a reasonable tradeoff for demonstrating political wokeness, especially if your large corporation already has Scrooge McDuck levels of F*** You Money.
beast556
08-01-2019, 10:26
Look in to harry's it is a liberal peice of shit company also. I love the mach 3 razors and was what I have used for 20+ years. I have been buying generic 3 blade razors and shave gel they suck and when I run out Im gonna try dollar shave club and see how they are.
ChickNorris
08-01-2019, 10:42
Um... not going to make THAT joke.
Martinjmpr
08-01-2019, 10:51
Whoops, lol. Looks like they are experiencing a different kind of "woke," in the form of immediate and tangible results of their actions.
Someone should make a spoof commercial where Gillette is acting like a clown in public eye and all the other companies are saying "Come on dude, don't be like that."
Not exactly a spoof (since it pre-dated the "toxic masculinity" ad by several years) but aimed in that direction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzC47F1DTO8
RblDiver
08-01-2019, 11:23
gonna try dollar shave club and see how they are.
I haven't read DSC's monthly newsletter that they include with it in some time, but my recollection is that while it's slightly left-of-center, it's not horribly so. Like, maybe a bit of "environmental awareness" sorts of ways, but not hugely in-your-face about it.
Look in to harry's it is a liberal peice of shit company also. I love the mach 3 razors and was what I have used for 20+ years. I have been buying generic 3 blade razors and shave gel they suck and when I run out Im gonna try dollar shave club and see how they are.
Citation?
Easy fix. Beard.
I look like an idiot with a beard.
Nothing wrong with environmental awareness.
News headline should read: Gillette fumbles razor ad, slices own throat.
ChickNorris
08-01-2019, 11:39
Nothing wrong with environmental awareness.
News headline should read: Gillette fumbles razor ad, slices own throat.
Yay wordplay
I'm went through my backup supply of Mach 3s and have been trying to figure out what's next.
A couple of weeks with a safety razor has proven challenging but I'm going to keep at it. I bought a cheap one with to see if I like with Feather blades. Schick might be my next option.
I tried Harry's and the lack of mechanical pivot (just rubber) makes it difficult for me to use.
When I go to Amazon to research reviews on other products, as I have the last few months, all I see are people leaving reviews on how they were dumping Gillette/P&G. This is much bigger than people think because men were the primary demo, so an appeal to other groups can't replace their lost customers. Nike didn't have this problem. No one in marketing/leadership understood the cost of losing a finite pool of customers who are ideologically opposed to your company (i.e. not a function of price/value/brand).
Notice the writedown was specifically for Gillette while P&G overall would have been net $3B?
P&G shareholders should demand a sell off of Gillette. It's toxic.
Citation?
Looks like Harry's was purchased a couple months back by Schick.
https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2019-05-09/after-disrupting-shaving-industry-harrys-is-absorbed-by-it
I've been doing the Barbasol version of the shave club thing. They send me blades every other month.
https://barbasol.com/products/barbasol-shave-club-starter-kit-new
Honestly, I stopped using Gillette after the ad as well however they were already losing money for the past couple years due to the Dollar Shave Club, Harrys and other alternatives. The 8 billion writedown has to do with Gillettes net sales which have declined 11 of the last 12 quarters so this has been going on for 3 years now.
Scanker19
08-01-2019, 14:48
I like the Costco brand razors. Probably made by gillet
DenverGP
08-01-2019, 16:02
Pretty sure these guys supply a lot of the "shave club" companies:
I've been using them for the past couple years, like the products.
https://www.dorcousa.com
wctriumph
08-01-2019, 16:33
I switched to the mail order shave stuff and find it better than gillette mach three turbo that I used for 20+ years. I switched before the advert because I could not afford to pay for the name brands after they tripled their prices.
The advert pissed me off too.
JohnnyDrama
08-01-2019, 16:59
Easy fix. Beard.
Then we'll either be hippies or cavemen. Guess that depends on your politics.
I've been thinking about trying a straight razor... I figure if I'm going to be toxic, I should have some class about it.
StagLefty
08-01-2019, 19:07
I bought an Edwin Jagger double edge safety razor ($30) and 50 featherweight blades ($9) awhile back and couldn't be happier.
ChickNorris
08-01-2019, 19:08
Then we'll either be hippies or cavemen. Guess that depends on your politics.
I've been thinking about trying a straight razor... I figure if I'm going to be toxic, I should have some class about it.
That's hawt. Just sayin.
I bought an Edwin Jagger double edge safety razor ($30) and 50 featherweight blades ($9) awhile back and couldn't be happier.
Especially if they were for your ex-wife!
Singlestack
08-01-2019, 20:44
I bought an Edwin Jagger double edge safety razor ($30) and 50 featherweight blades ($9) awhile back and couldn't be happier.
Related to Mick?
Then we'll either be hippies or cavemen. Guess that depends on your politics.
I thought that was also the tactical operator look?
StagLefty
08-02-2019, 06:54
Related to Mick?
I'll ask him next Saturday night haha
Martinjmpr
08-02-2019, 10:36
I bought an Edwin Jagger double edge safety razor ($30) and 50 featherweight blades ($9) awhile back and couldn't be happier.
Related to Mick?
Does he have "moves?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEPTlhBmwRg
P&G posts strong sales, takes $8 billion Gillette writedown
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-proctergamble-results-idUSKCN1UP1AD?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+ Content&utm_content=5d40a323ba8d0400013ccfa0&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
SideShow Bob
08-03-2019, 12:28
Guess I am in a very small minority,.
For the past 38 years, since I got out of the Military, I have used electric then cordless shavers when the battery technology improved.
Ditched the blade and never looked back.
You know, it wouldn't have hurt them so bad being SJW if they were alienating some customers in favor of other customers. See e.g. Dicks trying to turn themselves into REI or something. It's a slightly financial loss but it's not total catastrophy because they gain some to offset the losses.
But Gillette? They pissed off a section of men (e.g. the perfect target customers) in favor of:
Feminists? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Bearded hipsters? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Bearded women? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Trans dudes? Well okay, got me there, they might buy a couple razors until they pay for that hair removal.
Pretty sure a 6yo could've determined that ad wouldn't help profits. And what, exactly, are they paying marketing dollars for?
Shareholders of all political affiliations should be pissed.
Martinjmpr
08-03-2019, 15:55
Guess I am in a very small minority,.
For the past 38 years, since I got out of the Military, I have used electric then cordless shavers when the battery technology improved.
Ditched the blade and never looked back.
Well I'm in that minority too. Hate shaving with a blade.
The only time I shave with a blade is if I go on a 2 - 3 day motorcycle or off-road trip and don't shave. Then I HAVE to shave that first time with a blade.
Otherwise it's the Norelco-style remington (i.e. the one with the 3 rotating round blades.)
Even when I camp (with the wife) I shave with it every morning.
Guess I'm going to have to go looking for this commercial, since I've never seen it. Didn't watch the Super Bowl. No shits given for NFL football.....
theGinsue
08-04-2019, 09:05
Guess I'm going to have to go looking for this commercial, since I've never seen it. Didn't watch the Super Bowl. No shits given for NFL football.....
You asked, we delivered. COAR-15: The best a man or woman can get!
koPmuEyP3a0
You asked, we delivered. COAR-15: The best a man or woman can get!
koPmuEyP3a0
That's what I found on YouTube, wasn't sure if that was it. Thought maybe it had been taken down. Thanks!
You know, it wouldn't have hurt them so bad being SJW if they were alienating some customers in favor of other customers. See e.g. Dicks trying to turn themselves into REI or something. It's a slightly financial loss but it's not total catastrophy because they gain some to offset the losses.
But Gillette? They pissed off a section of men (e.g. the perfect target customers) in favor of:
Feminists? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Bearded hipsters? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Bearded women? Nope, never going to be a customer.
Trans dudes? Well okay, got me there, they might buy a couple razors until they pay for that hair removal.
Pretty sure a 6yo could've determined that ad wouldn't help profits. And what, exactly, are they paying marketing dollars for?
Shareholders of all political affiliations should be pissed.
You pegged it. And fwiw, I've never met a marketing "professional" who was worth a tinkers damn, who knew anything about the product or user group they were trying to market. Kids and their managers trying to squeeze any profit without realization of any long term company or product goal. I'm seeing it here and now in Sedona at a festival event I've worked at for 8 years. A lot of clueless people trying to sell stuff, and the corporate clowns are so isolated from everything connected to their target customers. Sometimes it amazes me that capitalism continues to be successful, but then, the alternatives are so far worse.
Some here might remember when Gillette was the face of masculine men. The regular sponsor of The Friday Night Fights, The Saturday Night Fights and later the Wednesday Night Fights featuring the best in boxing broadcast free to every television in America. Somebody should box the ears of those latter day millennial marketing geniuses who undoubtedly got bonuses for their clever new age ad, then got canned for the same.
Oh, just a final thought about the Gillette toxic masculinity concern: real men don't abuse women, we make love to them.
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