Marketing Masculinity

The Coup

At the beginning of 2019, a razor company released an ad criticizing ‘toxic masculinity’ that dominated social media and the news for over a week. Since it aired, I’ve been thinking a lot about advertising’s place in the #MeToo era… and it’s role in promoting toxic masculinity over the years.

But here’s the thing: It’s men and boys who Gillette’s ad needed to reach… but nearly all of its detractors were guys! So what are advertisers and brands missing here? And really, is it our job to figure it out?

Today, we’re exploring how corporate — brands and their PR machines — continue to transform the way we see, think about, and perform masculinity.