A new campaign launched by Gillette, in association with Southbank Centre’s Being A Man Festival, explores the complexity of what it means to be a man in Britain today. It brings research findings and personal stories together with a series of portraits and video footage, to encourage conversation and openness amongst British men.
The release of the video was accompanied by a study of 1,000 men* (OnePoll) that found two thirds (67 per cent) agree man’s role in society has evolved, yet forty-five per cent still say they have felt unable to share their feelings because of their gender.
Almost one in four of men who took part in the study (23 per cent) also admitted that they still feel pressure to be a ‘man’s man’.
In the short film, Gillette talks to British men of today, asking for their views on masculinity, what it means to them and how they see the future of being a man progressing. Watch it below:
The Being A Man Festival speakers captured in the film are Anthony Anaxagorou, Ben Norris, Jack Rooke, Lionheart Felt, Nick Makoha, Yomi Sode
Speaking about the campaign video, award-winning comedian Jake Rooke said: “This campaign in particular is cool because it is about getting a whole host of different men from a whole host of different backgrounds and cultures and races and sexualities, to just say, ‘hey, there isn’t just the one type of guy who you see in every film and every sort of cultural exploration of what being a man is’”
Matt Thomas, Brand Manager at Gillette UK said: “Gillette has been an expert in men for over 100 years, understanding their needs and designing products to meet these. This is even more important today, meaning that we meet with over 80 men every single day, at our Global R&D headquarters in Reading, UK to grow our understanding of their needs.
“It’s crucial that we continue to listen to the men, so we can continue to develop the best product for them and develop as a brand to stay relevant to them. The campaign, including both the advertising and film showcases the diverse nature of masculinity we see in the UK – and since British men don’t have one face, we do not have one razor.
“We are proud to be working with Being a Man festival, as well as continuing our longstanding partnership with Movember, as together we address the challenges and pressures of masculinity in the 21st Century today – something that is important to us as a brand as we look to celebrate and cater for all men.
“The research results found over one third (35%) of men will grow in confidence when carrying out a grooming regime and we want men to feel comfortable about this.”
Southbank Centre’s Being A Man Festival, returned for its fourth year, from 24-26 November 2017, exploring the challenges and pressures of masculinity from all angles, through a lively and candid weekend of talks, debates, comedy, performances and interactive workshops where men shared their personal stories and perspectives.
Twitter: @Gillette
Facebook: @GilletteUK