'Real men' show their caring side

Who are heroes? Many ordinary people around us are everyday heroes of society - that's the answer from Gillette, an answer vividly illustrated by a nationwide photo exhibition tour sponsored by the male grooming products company.

Among the 50 sets of photographs presented in the exhibition are images of relief workers who displayed strength and unity in the face of devastating snowstorms and earthquakes, volunteers who devoted themselves to the Beijing Olympic Games, as well as the faces of many ordinary people striving for excellence in their professional roles.

Among the heroes in the pictures is an elderly Beijing citizen committed to patrolling his home community for six years, accumulating a distance comparable to the historic 25,000-li Long March; electricity repairmen risking their lives to fix electric cables in harsh snowstorms; civilian entertainers from Shandong province devoting themselves to preservation of the renowned leather-silhouette show; and frontline ship craftsmen who contribute to the nation's development with their high-risk endeavors.

Gillette launched the "Salute to Everyday Hero" photography competition last December, in which Chinese citizens were asked to capture images of the ordinary yet epic heroes in their midst.

The competition received an enthusiastic response. The winning images were selected from over 8,000 candidate photos from all around China.

A panel of judges assessed the works based on theme, story background, photographic technique and other criteria, and 10 winners emerged. A total of 50 sets of works were selected to tour the country.

"The various images from the photography competition are simple yet compelling, offering discoveries of the light of humanity among ordinary lives," said Gillette's Global Vice President Siddik Tetik.

Wang Jinchun, 34, of National Library of China, told China Business Weekly that when visiting the photo exhibition, he was deeply impressed.

"I have thought that what I am doing is trivial and insignificant and means little to society, but now I believe I am something only if I can make some contribution to Chinese ancient book collation work and take good care of my family and people around me," said the ancient book digitalization engineer.

According to Tetik, Gillette believes that anyone helping others with love, compassion and care is an everyday hero. "We should pay tribute to all of them, and this is the very purpose of our 'Salute to Everyday Hero'," he said.

Wang Baoqiang has been promoted by Gillette as an archetypal everyday hero and acts as promotional ambassador of the "Salute to Everyday Hero" campaign, due to his own dramatic life experience of transformation from country boy to celebrity.

"Heroes are not only the ones we see on television or newspapers, but also those in our midst that give without recognition or fame," said the 24-year-old movie star.

Accompanying the campaign, a new series of ads - everyday hero - was promoted to the Chinese market, with Wang in a starring role.

In fact, business analysts classify the "Salute to Everyday Hero" campaign as a marketing move by Gillette, a global male skin care products provider.

The 98-year-old Gillette brand is well-known for its "hormone" marketing strategy. Its endorsers have ranged from soldiers in World War I to modern-day metrosexuals, from sports stars to movie idols, from handsome young men to weather-beaten seniors.

The US company sponsors sports events, male idol making shows, and coming-of-age ceremonies for boys.

It strives to consolidate the brand as a close friend of men, to inspire male consumers' confidence, and to lure females to buy Gillette for their men.

Last November, in the Shanghai Masters Cup, tennis king Roger Federer led 1,000 18-year-old local boys to shave, demonstrating they were coming of age. The ceremony was sponsored by Gillette and is a global activity held in various marketplaces of the company.

Tetik, who started his business career as a marketing manager in Gillette Turkey in 1996 and rose to his current position in 2006, said that ever since Gillette entered China in 1998, the company has been committed to enabling Chinese men to look and feel confident, presenting their best selves.

Gillette has carved out a strong position in China's male grooming market: In the last three years, the company has seen double-digit annual growth.

"As a male brand, Gillette calls for 'real man' spirit. In our definition, a real man stands for responsibility, courage and care. We need legendary heroes, but we need more of those everyday heroes," said Tetik.

(China Daily 03/30/2009 page10)