Appreciation in Action

Gillette x Grey New York

Here's one way to innovate unselfishly:

Grey New York and Gillette did it again for us with this ad that was very much handled with care...

"In the past 100 years, over 4,000 razors have been designed to shave yourself. There have been 0 designed with the intent to shave someone else. Until now. Gillette introduces the first razor designed for assisted shaving."

This is why I'm a fan:

This ad introduces The Gillette TREO Razor. And it's a winner for the heart portrayed in it. We were moved from beginning to end as we see this family take us on a journey -- giving us only but a few [inviting] minutes inside their home. It's vulnerable and that vulnerability is executed beautifully. What's touching about this ad, and product altogether, is that it's an innovation that helps one person (the caregiver) for the sake of the other -- the debilitated person in need of a kind and warm hearted soul that cares for them. Brands that put focus on their consumers' needs already deserve praise, but a brand that can innovate for a group of individuals that don't have any buying power...that's integrity in being people driven at its core.

Notice that when time comes for the son to shave his dad's face, the razor used isn't the TREO Razor.

Reason we love that is that it gives us the reality 'pre TREO'. The reality of the past 100 years is portrayed here. One might think that using the new product would have been better for the sake of showcasing how it's used and how it's helping this family [and imaginatively, many others that can relate] by shaving off (no pun intended) some of the 30 minutes needed with a regular razor. However, that would have made it about the product. But this ad is not about the product. Ad's should really never be solely about the product but about the people who connect with the product. It's only at the very end, where you see what the TREO even looks like. I've said this before, and I'll say it again: I love when creatives are confident enough to "not plug" the very product that the spot/ad is about. In this case, having it displayed at the end was just right. And being that it IS a new product -- the first of its kind -- it was a nice finishing touch while we're wiping our eyes from all the feels we got throughout the spot.

Oh, and congratulations are in order to this team for their win after win at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Source: Gillette's YouTube Channel