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Summary
The commercial under consideration is called “We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.” It is a television ad that advertises the Gillette company. However, Gillette does not merchandise its products; instead, it promotes its vision of masculinity that is an essential part of the brand. The ad was created mainly to support the Me Too movement, but it sparked a wave of criticism for insulting the male part of the population.
In the beginning, the ad depicts the faces of several men of different ages and races. They look worried at hearing news about sexual harassment and the Me Too movement. Then, an off-camera voice asks, “Is this the best a man can get?” (“We Believe”). The ad proceeds with the scenes of such negative behaviors as bullying, sexual harassment, fighting among boys, and interrupting a woman at a business meeting. The voice says that people should stop laughing it off and making an excuse that “boys will be boys” (“We Believe”).
After that, the commercial shows how some men can make other men accountable for those negative behaviors. It encourages more men to set a good example for children because “the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow” (“We Believe”). Like in the beginning, at the end of the ad, a few faces are shows, but this time they are children’s faces.
Context
The ad by Gillette intersects with a larger conversation happening in the public domain, which concerns sexual harassment and the Me Too movement. This movement was established in 2006, but gained its popularity in 2017 when some actresses confessed that they had been sexually harassed in the workplace (“Understanding the Me Too Movement”). Its purpose is to reveal to the public that sexual harassment happens more frequently than it is commonly believed (“Understanding the Me Too Movement”). In addition, it aims at providing support and help to victims and showing them that they are not alone with this problem (“Understanding the Me Too Movement”).
The ad seems to fit into this public conversation not very well because it exaggerates the scope of the issue. Furthermore, the company appears to be biased in terms of gender. The audience is likely to feel that the ad denigrates the male population because it states that only a few men act properly toward women.
The commercial also intersects with the public conversation about bullying among children. However, less attention is given to this problem in the video. The ad suggests that it is time for people to stop regarding such behavior as childish antics. Although the issue of bullying is topical, the commercial fails to address it properly. Viewers may take no notice of this problem because their attention is focused on the strained relationships between men and women.
The third public conversation tackled in the ad is the importance of upbringing children. The commercial emphasizes that men are responsible for their behavior because boys watch them and behave likewise. Although the message is reasonable, it is unlikely to find a response among viewers because of the unsuccessful delivery of the thought. The audience may think that the advertiser makes men accountable for the future of children, while women are considered victims unable to contribute to changing the situation.
Rhetorical analysis
This ad argues that a common view of masculinity should be changed. According to the commercial, most men treat women with disrespect and, therefore, should change their conduct. Although the ad does not state it explicitly, it says that only a few men try to stop the depicted negative behaviors, which implies that the majority of the male population is wicked. Another unstated assumption is that any expression of admiration of a woman’s body is immoral. It seems that the ad conveys the message that even clips featuring half-dressed women are a kind of sexual harassment.
The audience for the commercial is the male population of the U.S. It is clear because the ad often utilizes the words “a man” and “boys,” as well as appeals directly to men. It says to them that it is not appropriate to demonstrate openly their inner desires related to women. The ad also tries to persuade them that they are responsible for reducing bullying among boys and teaching them to treat the opposite gender with respect. To assess the persuasiveness of this commercial, one can turn to Cialdini’s principles of persuasion. This ad tries to utilize the principle of social proof, meaning that people are prone to do things that others do (Villa).
However, it fails to apply it effectively because it argues that most men behave improperly, while only a few of them do the right things. Since the majority of people choose negative conduct, viewers are encouraged to do the same rather than follow the correct behavior patterns of the minority. Consequently, the ad fails at persuading the target audience to pay attention to the recommendations.
As for modes of persuasion, this commercial employs pathos because it appeals to emotions. It shows the scenes of fighting and bullying to evoke sympathy for victims. The music, actors’ emotions, and overlapping news audios make viewers feel worried. The ad does not provide any facts, such as statistics of sexual harassment, so it does not employ logos. Ethos is also not used in the commercial because it does not supply the audience with any specific personal experiences or research. Although pathos may be an effective mode of persuasion, the ad does not seem to use it successfully because there is a sense that the problem is exaggerated, and the advertiser is biased against men.
Works Cited
“Understanding the Me Too Movement: A Sexual Harassment Awareness Guide.” Maryville University. Web.
Villa, David. “How to Use the Six Principles of Persuasion to Boost Sales.” Forbes. 2018. Web.
“We Believe: The Best Men Can Be | Gillette (Short Film).” YouTube, uploaded by Gillette. 2019. Web.
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