#GentlemanInYou: The Man Company celebrates International Men’s Day with an integral message

Homegrown men's grooming essential brand, The Man Company, rolled out the extension to their 2019 campaign 'Gentleman Kise Kehte Hai' with the insight that a true gentleman doesn't wear a superhero cape or carry a godly hammer with lightning-thunder power.

On the occasion of International Men’s Day, the second leg of The Man Company’s 'Gentleman Kise Kehte Hai' campaign is based on the insight that real gentlemen struggle with possessiveness, insecurities, vulnerability, and stacks of self-doubt while yearning to show compassion and empathy for inner self.

Hitesh Dhingra, Founder, The Man Company, said, "Coining the thought surrounding 'Gentleman Kise Kehte Hai' accelerated the talk around the societal expectations, self-doubt, and apprehensions that society feeds to men. As a society, we have grown accustomed to multiple stereotypes, people assume that men don't worry about their appearance simply because they're men and hence have other things to do. This International Men’s Day, as India's leading men's grooming brand, we are equipped and responsible for empowering today's men so that they can feel the best version of themselves at any given point in life."

From birth, men and women are often treated differently. While girls are seen as fragile and delicate, boys have been taught to be hardcore and indifferent. The preconceived notions surrounding the emotional, behavioral, and social outlook have only pushed fine men into a corner from where it's considerably challenging to get out. For instance, most people think that men hardly care about their appearance, hairstyle, or clothes and mock those men who outwardly care about these things because the 'Sher Muh Nahi Dhote' concept is deeply rooted in their minds.

Commenting about the Man Company campaign, Imran Shamsi, Founder, What Works - Video Agency and Production House, said, "Men are often celebrated for their bravery, intellect, and strength, but no one writes songs or poetry about their appearance. We see these gentlemen every day but often overlook their inner and outer beauty. Keeping this as the core idea, we wanted to pay an ode to the gentleness in men. And, since the focus was on self-acceptance and self-love, ordinary men became the heroes of our film."

The campaign is executed by What Works and is focused on self-love aspiring to embolden modern-age men. The idea is to encourage the thought that no matter what choices a man makes in his life or the pressure society imposes on him, they shouldn't stop him from trusting and believing his inner abilities. It revolves around men appreciating themselves without indulging in the pessimistic outlook of conventional societal norms while supporting their physical, psychological, and spiritual growth.

Also read: LinkedIn rolls out Phase II of #FindTheBalance highlighting the significance of well-being in remote working

The 'Gentleman Tumhi Toh Ho' video campaign has been released on YouTube in nine different languages: English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, and Gujarati. It also has a section describing the video content in sign language. This multilingual feature enables users to consume the video content in their chosen language with the help of carefully translated subtitles. The objective is to relay the message that gentlemen come from all walks of life, irrespective of language or age barriers. It is pertinent to note that ace singer Sona Mohapatra has delivered the video voiceover while Article 15 fame writer, poet, and lyricist Gaurav Solanki penned down the content.  

Vibhav Ameta, Director of the Video, added, "The narrative demanded simplicity, a free-flowing viewing experience, and visuals that connect emotionally and bring smiles. Picturing men in their daily life through the scope of 'self-love' was tricky, not something we see in campaigns that often. We used mirrors to show a different perspective, a new reflection, another side of a gentleman."

Over the years, The Man Company has crafted a narration that enables society to rise above the toxic masculinity and sexist norms attached to men. With their new campaign, the brand manages to bring forth a new facet of the modern man, urging consumers to break the shackles of societal gender barriers.