In a news-making marketing campaign unveiled two months ago, Gillette posed an attention grabbing question in the wake of the #MeToo movement: “Is this the best a man can get?”

The commercial put a spotlight on holding men accountable for bad behavior, from sexual harassment to bullying to “toxic masculinity,” while casting aside old excuses like “boys will be boys” and emphasizing on setting an example for the next generation.

Now, signers of a Care2 petition are flipping the question back toward the Boston-based shaving company based on its connection to the New England Patriots, particularly team owner Robert Kraft.


The petition, titled, “Gillette, Is Exploiting Victims of Human Trafficking the ‘Best Men Can Be?,'” asks the Procter & Gamble-owned company to end its sponsorship of the Patriots’ stadium that bears its name in light of the two misdemeanor charges brought against Kraft that allege he twice solicited prostitution at a Florida spa in January.

Authorities contend that the business (not Kraft) was involved in an international human trafficking ring that reaches as far away as China. However, no trafficking charges have been brought to date related to the overall investigation. The petition says the allegations of trafficking, not prostitution, are the “problem.”

Kraft, through an attorney last month, pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. His case is due back in court March 28.

As of Thursday morning, the petition was a few hundred names shy of hitting its goal of 15,000 signatures.

“It’s nice to see a brand use their influence for good, but now it’s time to see if they will actually back up their words with action,” the petiton says.

Gillette has held naming rights for the Patriots’ home stadium in Foxborough since 2002 — a deal that was later extended through 2031.

The company did not respond to a request for comment from Boston.com Thursday.