Can advertisers help ‘lost boys’ reconnect with culture? Marc Allenby, co-founder and chief creative officer of Hijinks, thinks so. The issue of toxic masculinity has never been hotter than right now.The harrowing Stephen Graham drama Adolescence is topping the Netflix charts with its warning tale of young manhood gone wrong; last week, Gareth Southgate warned of a ‘generation of Lost Boys’ and the dangers of misogynistic influencers in his Richard Dimbleby Lecture; there have even been suggestions (rejected so far by Sir Keir Starmer) that the UK needs a minister for men.So what, if anything, can advertising do to help?Well, we can start by getting away from the broad stereotypes of advertising that we still see on UK screens. Because even though our industry has progressed in so many ways when it comes to how male characters are portrayed in ads, we are very stereotypical. Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum For example, there is the straight man, typically married with kids, football-obsessed, and the 9-5 clean-shaven office type who enjoys a few pints in the pub.Or there is a stereotype of what a gay man is - a twink who loves clubbing.But not all gay men are like that either; I for one don’t fit into this stereotype and am more of a bear.You could be a drag king and still be masculine. You can be a geeky gamer and still be socially outgoing. There are different shades of masculinity, and we need to view it as a spectrum. Advertisement Stereotypes are dangerous.They help perpetuate cliches about masculinity that don’t encourage boys to speak up about mental health, and what is worse, they can drive boys and men to look for role models elsewhere - online, into the terrifying so-called manosphere, populated by the likes of Andrew Tate and the horrors of incel culture. As revealed so glaringly in Adolescence, there’s a whole level of toxic online content out there that most people over 25 aren’t even aware of. Advertisement To do their part, advertisers need to avoid being lazy and risk-averse, avoid cliches and instead celebrate men for their strengths and differences. For example, artists like Andy Warhol, Grayson Perry and Robert Mapplethorpe have expressed a fragile, vulnerable side to masculinity in their work, but this isn’t seen much in advertising.Culture creates role models, and there is no reason advertising should not be part of that culture, too. Suggested newsletters for you Daily Briefing Daily Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team. Weekly Marketing Friday Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team. The Drum Insider Once a month Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum. As agencies, it’s up to us to push it along and inspire the brands we work for– for example, when it’s important in a script to include men in different roles or with more complex, nuanced personalities. There are some examples of brands doing this - for example, McCain’s ‘We Are Family’ campaign and JD Sports’ Christmas ad ‘Family Portrait’ have championed differently-shaped families.Advertisers like Nike, Channel 4 and Virgin Atlantic have also championed diverse types of men. This is not about being “woke”. It’s simply a matter of more awareness. But with the Trump and Musk-led backlash in the US over diversity, there is a danger that brands will revert to old stereotypes.For UK advertisers, Southgate’s lecture should be a wake-up call for advertising agencies to start playing a bigger role in this debate, step up with their storytelling and portray more nuanced, positive male role models to which teenage boys can aspire.Advertisers also need to think carefully about the role models and brand ambassadors they place on a pedestal. I believe sports brands and players, in particular, could play a role here in influencing the decisions taken by young men.Just as the Lionesses have galvanized young women to embrace sports, football players could step up to demonstrate a more positive version of masculinity, athleticism and strength that doesn’t involve encouraging unrealistic lifting of weights and telling women to get back into the kitchen.For agency creatives, now, more than ever, is the time to encourage our clients to hold a mirror up to society by writing characters that are human - rather than simply “male”.So, let’s sharpen our pencils and get creative about it, and let’s embrace what an incredible brief that actually is!Read more opinion on The Drum.Get in touch here on LinkedIn.

Can a more nuanced portrayal of men in ads help us connect with lost boys?

This is not about being “woke”. It’s simply a matter of more awareness. But with the Trump and Musk-led backlash in the US over diversity, there is a danger that brands will revert to old stereotypes.But not all gay men are like that either; I for one don’t fit into this stereotype and am more […]

This is not about being “woke”. It’s simply a matter of more awareness. But with the Trump and Musk-led backlash in the US over diversity, there is a danger that brands will revert to old stereotypes.But not all gay men are like that either; I for one don’t fit into this stereotype and am more of a bear.

AdvertisementTo do their part, advertisers need to avoid being lazy and risk-averse, avoid cliches and instead celebrate men for their strengths and differences. For example, artists like Andy Warhol, Grayson Perry and Robert Mapplethorpe have expressed a fragile, vulnerable side to masculinity in their work, but this isn’t seen much in advertising.Stereotypes are dangerous.

Catch up on the most important stories of the day, curated by our editorial team.

Get in touch here on LinkedIn. Culture creates role models, and there is no reason advertising should not be part of that culture, too.Stay up to date with a curated digest of the most important marketing stories and expert insights from our global team.Or there is a stereotype of what a gay man is – a twink who loves clubbing.

The harrowing Stephen Graham drama Adolescence is topping the Netflix charts with its warning tale of young manhood gone wrong; last week, Gareth Southgate warned of a ‘generation of Lost Boys’ and the dangers of misogynistic influencers in his Richard Dimbleby Lecture; there have even been suggestions (rejected so far by Sir Keir Starmer) that the UK needs a minister for men.

You could be a drag king and still be masculine. You can be a geeky gamer and still be socially outgoing. There are different shades of masculinity, and we need to view it as a spectrum.There are some examples of brands doing this – for example, McCain’s ‘We Are Family’ campaign and JD Sports’ Christmas ad ‘Family Portrait’ have championed differently-shaped families.

As agencies, it’s up to us to push it along and inspire the brands we work for– for example, when it’s important in a script to include men in different roles or with more complex, nuanced personalities.

Daily Briefing

Daily

Well, we can start by getting away from the broad stereotypes of advertising that we still see on UK screens. Because even though our industry has progressed in so many ways when it comes to how male characters are portrayed in ads, we are very stereotypical.

Weekly Marketing

Friday

The issue of toxic masculinity has never been hotter than right now.

The Drum Insider

Once a month

For example, there is the straight man, typically married with kids, football-obsessed, and the 9-5 clean-shaven office type who enjoys a few pints in the pub.

They help perpetuate cliches about masculinity that don’t encourage boys to speak up about mental health, and what is worse, they can drive boys and men to look for role models elsewhere – online, into the terrifying so-called manosphere, populated by the likes of Andrew Tate and the horrors of incel culture. As revealed so glaringly in Adolescence, there’s a whole level of toxic online content out there that most people over 25 aren’t even aware of.

Suggested newsletters for you

Advertisers also need to think carefully about the role models and brand ambassadors they place on a pedestal. I believe sports brands and players, in particular, could play a role here in influencing the decisions taken by young men.

Want to go deeper? Ask The Drum

So, let’s sharpen our pencils and get creative about it, and let’s embrace what an incredible brief that actually is!For agency creatives, now, more than ever, is the time to encourage our clients to hold a mirror up to society by writing characters that are human – rather than simply “male”.Read more opinion on The Drum.Advertisers like Nike, Channel 4 and Virgin Atlantic have also championed diverse types of men.So what, if anything, can advertising do to help?Learn how to pitch to our editors and get published on The Drum.Advertisement