The internet is a wondrous resource. With a global network right at our fingertips, for many of us it has become the go-to source of information.
But does this come at a price?
In a recent study from men’s razor brand Gillette, the brand found that 94% of teenagers would rather ask the internet for advice before their dads. And with so many of them preferring to look to their phones for answers before their parents, Gillette found this was leaving their fathers feeling sad and left out.
In a social experiment stunt, Gillette set out to change that and prove that sometimes parents really do know better.
The brand invited teens to learn a new skill using only the internet. Each boy was given a particular task to complete and told to search the internet for advice. The tasks included: how to fix a tie, how to ask a girl out, how to fry an egg, and how to shave.
Relying only on websites and videos, the teens struggled to complete their assigned tasks. After attempting each one, Gillette then brought in each boy’s real father to help out, with moving and funny results.
Watch this video to see what happened:
The campaign has touched people around the world, with the video racking up over 6 million views to date.
This isn’t the first time a brand has used a social experiment as a platform for an experiential campaign; earlier this year, JetBlue united passengers with a politically themed stunt. Both campaigns show how a well-executed stunt with a human touch can be a subtle but effective way to build brand love.