In 2013, a shaving brand that was born in 1919 joined the parade of products trying to define what it means to be a real man today.
To make the message seem less preachy, the TV commercials use manly archetypes of the past, a baseball player in 1920, a pioneer on the Oregon Trail in 1854, and a G.I. fighting in 1944. They talk directly to their current-day male descendants about their behavior on social media.
The Barbasol commercial with the soldier begins with the actor speaking to the camera and saying “Oh, hey, buddy, your great-granddad here. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of busy here fighting for your freedom in the Second World War.”
He continues; “But now, you’re using that freedom to hurl insults at celebrities on Twitter? Listen, hashtag, if you’re not going to fight like a man, at least shave like a man.”
In the end, the soldier is barking, “And stop L.O.L.ing everything.”