This Quietly Powerful Gillette Ad Shows a Dad Teaching His Transgender Son How to Shave
- Adweek

Earlier this year, Gillette entered some new territory as the brand decided to start making more pronounced stands on how masculinity is defined. The brand’s 90-second spot directed by Kim Gehrig tackling toxic masculinity was an interesting and welcome pivot (though it did face its share of slings and arrows from the internet)—and also a straightforward and bold approach.

Today, the brand launched a new ad that shows a traditional rite of passage: a dad teaching his son how to shave. What makes this ad unique, however, is that this heartwarming moment features Toronto-based transgender activist Samson Bonkeabantu Brown and his father.

As expected, Brown’s dad coaches him on technique and implores him not to be scared, giving him a great deal of confidence as he navigates his first time using a razor.

Creatively, the ad from Grey Canada is stripped down to the essence of the moment, which allows it to carry a profound weight.

“As I dove deeper into the stories of the subjects, I really started to understand how big of a moment the ‘first shave’ was to them,” said Angie Bird, of Skin and Bones and Chelsea Pictures, who directed the film.

For Adweek's full coverage, please click HERE. For more of Angie's work, please click HERE.