On the 30th anniversary of its famous tagline “The Best a Man Can Get,” Gillette is taking a fresh look at what it means to be “the best.” The company is introducing a marketing campaign and charitable program dedicated to celebrating the stories of men who are making a positive impact and inspiring other in the process.
The program-leading short film, entitled “We Believe,” was developed by Gillette’s global advertising agency Grey and directed by Kim Gehrig of production company Somesuch. It showcases Gillette’s POV of how we can work together to set the right example for the next generation of men and take positive actions that push back against bullying, sexual harassment and the “boys will be boys” mentality, changing the culture of “toxic masculinity.”
Additionally, Gillette has committed to donating $1 million per year for the next three years to non-profit organizations executing programs in the U.S. designed to help men of all ages achieve their personal “best,” changing the conversation of modern manhood for generations to come.
Credits
Client Procter & Gamble/Gillette Agency Grey New York John Patroulis, worldwide chief creative officer; Jeff Stamp, deputy chief creative officer; Joe Mongognia, executive creative director; Asan Aslam, group creative director; Patrick Conlon, creative director. Executive Production Townhouse Katy Hill, VP, executive producer; Rondell Wescott, VP, integrated producer; Kurt Steinke, music producer; Nina Pratt, casting supervision; Alice Lambrides, talent manager. Production Somesuch Kim Gehrig, director; Adam Arkapaw, DP; Nicky Barnes, exec producer; Saul Germaine, line producer. Editorial Cosmo Street Joshua Berger, Tom Lindsay, editors; Anne Lai, head of production; Maura Woodward, exec producer. VFX/Finishing MPC Thiago Porto, VFX supervisor; Mark Gethin, colorist; Alvin Cruz, creative director; Joey Deady, John Shafto, Flame artists; Rob Ufer, 2D lead; Matthew Loranger, exec producer; Meghan Lang, color exec producer; Aiste Akelaityte, VFX producer; Rebecca Boorsma, color producer. Sound Design/Audio Post Heard City Keith Reynaud, sound engineer; Tom Morris, assistant sound engineer; Gloria Pitagorsky, exec producer. Music Future Perfect Music John Connolly, Adam Hochstatter, Ben Pacheco, composers/artists; Victor Magro, arranger; Maxwell Gosling, exec producer. Song: "Reach Out"
Dancer turned director Ezra Hurwitz collaborates with Ailey II artistic director Francesca Harper, featuring movement as museum pieces against the Whitney Museum of American Art’s striking architecture for this short film titled Echoes of Ailey. Commissioned to celebrate “Edges of Ailey” at the Whitney Museum, the film accompanies the first large-scale exhibition on the life and enduring legacy of visionary artist and choreographer Alvin Ailey. “Edges of Ailey” is currently on view at the Whitney until February 9.
Animating iconic images from Alvin Ailey’s 20th-century repertory, the film expands on the exhibition by constructing a visual narrative around his storytelling and influences. Set to Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place,” dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and The Ailey School capture the emotional core of the company’s history--physically situating Ailey’s masterworks amongst the Whitney’s collection.
“As a child, my grandmother took me to Ailey’s Revelations once a year,” said Hurwitz. “No matter how often I saw it, the work captivated me. There isn’t one specific thing I hope viewers take away from the film--or one way to interpret its images. It’s meant to be an abstract work, like Ailey’s creations.”
Turning to his archive, Hurwitz and Harper illuminate key sequences symbolic of Ailey’s profound legacy, closing on an uninterrupted sequence from "I’ve Been Buked," the opening movement of Ailey’s legendary "Revelations." Carrying a watershed moment back to its own medium, Echoes of Ailey captures the multigenerational impact of Ailey’s work, continued by his organization. The short film first premiered on Nowness.
