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Young boys who don’t know or haven’t met their fathers are not being able to ask for difficult or awkward advice when going through puberty. They don’t have someone with a body like theirs to guide them, or an example or role model that they can follow.
In many homes in South Africa, women step up to the challenge and raise a new generation of men on their own. So, Gillette decided to pay attention to and celebrate all the women who raise their sons and grandsons so they can become great fathers one day.
In connection with Women’s Day, Gillette teamed up with agency Grey Africa and created a film to tribute these powerful women. In the almost three minute long film we get to know the story of Gogo Nozizwe, who raised her grandson, Akhona, all by herself. And according to the agency, 90% of South African men, who were asked to watch the campaign film, said that it reminded them of their own lives.
“You may ask yourself why the world’s largest male grooming brand has chosen to create a campaign for Women’s Day,” Mosala Phillips, Brand Director at Procter & Gamble in South Africa, said and added:
“It’s easy to answer. The social issues of men and women do not exist in isolation. Women have been stepping up to raise a new generation of men, and we want to pay tribute to them for all that they do. We also all have a role to play in shaping the next generation, and we are calling on all South Africans to join us in this task.”
It’s an uplifting approach to show the returns of an incredible parenting that’s seen in the film: Instead of showing a woman physically taking care of her son, we see a son raised so well that he was after growing older able to take care of his aging guardian and grandmother. This film has been another opportunity for Gillette to challenge gender norms. Everyone has a role to play in shaping a new generation of South African men – and Gillette has really been taking action.
