Don’t give Gillette credit unless it does a lot more than making an ad

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While it may be a touch heavy-handed and lacks the uplifting emotion that Nike achieved with its Colin Kaepernick “Dream Crazy” commercial, Gillette nonetheless calls attention to real and important issues that men and women face, thanks to an outdated definition of what it means to be a man. And I like that the spot encourages men to guide other men and boys to behave better, a key step toward necessary behavior change to treat everyone with respect, empathy, and care.

Was calling out “toxic masculinity” a mistake? Not if you are seeking reaction and discussion to get your ad noticed. In today’s world, taking sides on polarizing issues is one surefire way to break through the clutter. And my guess is that Gillette made a calculated decision to do exactly that. They say they weren’t trying to court controversy but did expect some pushback, and that their job was to spark a discussion about how men can go from good to great. Mission accomplished.

My concern is that all this attention and controversy is focused in the wrong place. Regardless of how you respond to a piece of creative advertising, we should all be asking Gillette: Where we can we find your authentic commitment and action to changing this problem?

If brands are going to lean in to social purpose to sell product, we have to expect them to do so with substance. Raising awareness is not enough. There needs to be a genuine, informed, long-term commitment to the issue with a clear plan to achieve the change the company is seeking to create.

Gillette has failed on this account. Throwing $3 million over three years at nonprofit partners without much detail into the programs that will result is not a real commitment. It’s a press release gesture to show a Potemkin commitment from a company that last year generated $6 billion in sales and still charges more for women’s razors than it does for men’s.

I admire Gillette for tackling this thorny issue at some risk to their brand. But that doesn’t excuse a Fortune 200 company from showing the same courage, seriousness, planning, and, yes, budget, toward achieving the social impact they claim to be behind. A real plan would answer questions like: What does measurable social change on this topic look like? What’s the baseline on attitudes and behaviors today, and where should they play to address it? Who else is working on the issue, and how can Gillette support those actors on the ground? What can they do to engage their consumers and employees in the change leveraging the unique assets of a massive global company?

In launching this brand spot, it would have been great to understand the road map they have created to help shift male attitudes and behaviors. It would have signaled a commitment to the issue for the long term, and that the ad campaign was just the start of a more substantive initiative.