Reframing masculinity

What does it mean to be a man in 2018? Traditionally, the acceptable expression of masculinity in mainstream Western culture has been very rigid, with little room for emotional expression or vulnerability. But these constricting parameters have reached a breaking point. According to a 2016 survey by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, males accounted for 70% of suicides that year, and suicide rates for men are more than 3.5 times higher than for women. And movements like #MeToo make it abundantly clear that the destructive effects of toxic masculinity are not limited to men. As the damage it causes becomes impossible to ignore, the need for change is more apparent than ever. In response, brands and marketers are taking steps to consciously adapt the portrayal of masculinity to allow for more nuance, flexibility and compassion.

“I think what this entire conversation has been about and what it’s brought up is the need to allow men to exist in a plurality of different versions of their manhood, rather than defining specific boundaries in which they should exist if they want to perform masculinity ‘correctly’ in 2018,” explains Maxwell.

The Future Laboratory’s report also serves as a call to action for brands to destigmatize this diversified evolution of manhood. “There’s a need for brands to become involved in providing better role models for men and to undo some of the damage that they’ve been complicit in subjecting society to over the last 50 to 100 years,” says Maxwell. He stresses the importance of “creating signposts and role models that allow kids from a young age to see a bigger, more successful ‘manhood’ that isn’t based around rescuing princesses—or any kind of domination or control—but that actually can be around kinship and care.”

Harry’s, a direct-to-consumer men’s grooming label disrupting the stodgy shaving category, is one such brand working to reappropriate masculinity. In February 2018 Harry’s launched “A Man Like You,” an ad that questions what it means to be a modern man. In the spot, a boy attempts to explain the meaning of manhood to an alien unfamiliar with human culture. The boy lists all of the stereotypical things a man “should” be; “a man has to be strong… a man shouldn’t be afraid of anything.” But by the end, the boy admits that “the truth is, there’s no one way to be a man.”

“Harry’s believes the outdated rules of masculinity are too narrow for today’s world,” says Dale Austin, creative director at GSD&M, the agency that developed the ad. “Modern men embrace the ‘ands.’ They know they can be strong and nurturing, powerful and sensitive, self-assured and accepting of others. The problem comes not when we embrace the things that make us men, but when we shut ourselves off to an entire half of our humanity. In short, it’s time we stopped asking ourselves what makes a real man and instead ask what makes a good man. The answer, we believe, is the same things that make a good human.”

Men’s clothing brand Bonobos is actively continuing the conversation about what it means to be a man with its new #EvolveTheDefinition campaign. The central spot debuted during the ESPY Awards on July 18, 2018, amid a powerful moment in the #MeToo movement: the presentation of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award to the sexual abuse victims of former USA Gymnastics coach Larry Nassar. “We talked about moving beyond the evolution of men’s pants to the evolution of men,” says Bonobos co-president Micky Onvural. “Our bigger purpose became starting a conversation about masculinity.” The ad, which interviews a host of men about what masculinity means to them, intends to do just that by presenting varied definitions of manhood. “I think that’s what gets us in trouble,” one interviewee says, “when we say that there’s only one way to be a man.”

Grooming brand Axe was one of the first brands to question what it means to be a man in 2016 with its “Find Your Magic” campaign. The original spot featured different types of men, encouraging viewers to embrace what makes them unique with the tagline “Find your thing and work on it.” The brand took this one step further with the “Is It OK For Guys?” spot. Released in May 2017, the spot asks real Google search questions about what is “acceptable” for men, including “Is it OK to not like sports?” and “Is it OK to experiment with other guys?”—and whether it’s OK for men to be nervous, depressed, scared …

The spot is only one part of Axe’s larger effort to break this culturally perpetuated cycle of toxic masculinity. The brand has partnered with three nonprofits—Promundo, The Representation Project and Ditch the Label—to better understand and help correct the factors contributing to this harmful cycle. “Axe asked guys to ‘find their magic’ and express what truly makes them an individual,” says Rik Strubel, global vice president at Axe. “But we can’t just tell guys to be themselves without addressing the underlying cultural issues and restrictive definitions of manhood holding them back in the first place. It not only hurts guys, it hurts everyone.”