Gillette Venus partners with female directors for Instagram TV content

Dive Brief:

Procter & Gamble's women's razor brand Gillette Venus launched "Her Shot," which it described in a news release as a "social experiment" designed to promote women’s perspectives.
As part of the effort, the brand found 10 up-and-coming female directors, selected through the creative and digital marketplace Fiverr, to create video content that showcases a woman’s point-of-view. The brand hopes to show the impact of a female perspective on the world.
For the effort, Gillette Venus is also partnering with actress and director Regina King to provide tips and advice to help the directors succeed in the industry. Fans can view the content on Gillette Venus' Instagram TV hub and follow the conversation with the hashtag #HerShotxVenus.

Dive Insight:

With "Her Shot," Gillette Venus is celebrating diverse representations of women and creativity from a woman's perspective. The brand is also raising awareness about the lack of women and diversity among creators in the marketing and media industry, as fewer than 7% of directors are women, according to Free the Bid data cited in the release. Free the Bid is an initiative encompassing brands, agencies, production companies and other marketing industry stakeholders to give women directors a voice in advertising.

The "Her Shot" campaign is part of several initiatives by parent company Procter & Gamble to support more women in creative roles and advance gender equality in marketing and advertising. As part of its commitment to Free the Bid, P&G has pledged to include a female director on any triple-bid commercial project.

Gillette's efforts to show a more realistic and diverse perspective from women is a trend that more brands are following to modernize their marketing, as many legacy players that have dominated the market for generations are facing new competition from direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. DTC companies are seen as having more agile supply chains that can better meet evolving customer needs. For example, in the men's razor category, Gillette's market share declined from 70% in 2010 to 54% in 2016, with DTC brands like Dollar Shave Club and Harry's grabbing more of the market, according to Interactive Advertising Bureau research.

While Gillette Venus launched in 2001 as a razor designed specifically for women's needs, traditional women’s razor advertising has often featured unrealistic images, such as showing women shave already-hairless legs. In contrast, DTC female-focused razor brand Billie recently launched "Project Body Hair," which includes a video that acknowledges and celebrates female body hair in all forms and carries the message that women should shave only when and if they want to.

Billie's campaign also asked women to submit images of women with body hair and suggested that women should never pay more for a razor just because it's pink — a reference to the "pink tax" that's often placed on personal care items for women.