For this year’s Father’s Day, Gillette broke through the crowded sameness in its category and made emotional relevance its edge.
The challenge? Father’s Day in the Middle East barely existed. Not celebrated, remembered or even recognised. For a brand rooted in helping men be their best, that cultural invisibility offered a unique opportunity to lead with purpose.
With ‘Father’s Day is Closer Than You Think’, Gillette, in collaboration with integrated creative agency JWI, turned a forgotten date into a meaningful, multi-touchpoint movement.
“We saw a cultural blind spot,” said Adele Baxter, Client Services Director at JWI. “Modern fathers are emotionally engaged, but they weren’t being recognised. So we created a campaign that gave them the visibility they deserved.”
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The campaign launched with a series of candid street interviews revealing that most people didn’t even know when Father’s Day was. From there, the narrative shifted to celebration. Audiences nominated their father figures to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, like a helicopter ride or a deep-sea dive, creating shareable, emotional content captured across TikTok, Instagram and radio.
On-ground, Gillette took over Dubai Festival City Mall with a three-day activation where families could take photos, print fridge magnets, and see their moments displayed on LED screens in real time. The message echoed everywhere: Father’s Day is closer than you think.
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“Recognition was at the heart of the idea,” said Aly ElGuezery, Design Brand Director at Procter & Gamble – Gillette MEA. “We didn’t want to just sell razors – we wanted to celebrate a new generation of fathers and build emotional connection that lasts beyond the moment.”
The campaign ran across socials, including influencer collaborations, retail moments, radio and PR.
In terms of results, the campaign reached over 68 million people, drove more than 280,000 engagements, and delivered a 3 per cent engagement rate which achieved double the regional benchmark. More meaningfully, brand health metrics rose across the board: awareness (8 per cent increase), consideration (7 per cent increase), and brand worth (6 per cent increase).
By transforming a forgotten day into a cultural milestone, Gillette didn’t just stay relevant. It redefined what relevance looks like in the grooming space.
Credits:
Brand: Procter & Gamble – Gillette
Aly ElGuezery, Brand Director Proctor & Gamble – Gillette MEA
Alia El Zeki, Brand Manager Proctor & Gamble- Gillette MEA
Devanand M, Brand Manager Proctor & Gamble- Gillette MEA
Lora Saleh, Brand Director Proctor & Gamble – Gillette MEA
Agency: JWI
Charli Wright – Owner & Managing Director JWI
Adele Baxter – Client Services Director JWI
Ben Thomas – Creative Director JWI
Meghan Hird – Event Director JWI
CJ Williams – Accounts Director JWI
George Sharrock – Senior Creative JWI
Jonathan Jose – Mid-Weight Designer JWI
Tanisha Mascarenhas – Junior Designer JWI
Salma Khalifa – Account Manager JWI
Eliane Chalhoub – PR Account Manager JWI
