Young men don’t see ads reflective of ‘the man they want to become’

Just one in four men (26%) say they regularly see advertising that “reflects the man they want to become”.

That is according to a new report by Channel 4 in partnership with the National Research Group (NRG) that concluded advertising is “out of step with modern masculinity”.

Mirror on Masculinities also found that more than one-third of young men, and half of men aged 25-34, say advertisers should do more around the representation of men in advertising.

The study, presented at Channel 4’s Horseferry Road London headquarters on Tuesday, is the latest in a series of Mirror on the Industry research projects produced by the public-service broadcaster since 2019.

It follows another study released by Channel 4 earlier this year that found Gen Z is more embracing of having a strongman leader and that nearly half (45%) of young men feel promoting women’s equality has now led to discrimination against men.

The latest Mirror on the Industry report expands on those findings, noting that three-quarters (75%) of men aged 18-34 say they are “proud to be a man”, yet only four in 10 believe “society treats masculinity positively”.

“This is a call to evolve — not just how we portray men, but how we understand them,” said Channel 4 senior research executive Joe Hall.

“Young men are saying they want to see ambition, leadership and emotional depth reflected at them. The report is clear: representation needs to move beyond stereotypes and into modern masculinities.”

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How young men perceive manhood

The report identified three “pillars” that underpin how young men currently “think about being a man”: as builders, as leaders and as providers.

Manhood was found to be something young men feel they need to “earn” through hard work and a goal-based approach to life, with just one in 10 respondents indicating they believe they should be content with where they are in life.

Men also desired to be charismatic, funny and sociable, with two-thirds (66%) saying they believe men should step up in social settings by taking responsibility for others. Meanwhile, despite widespread understanding of mental health issues, two out of three young men still reported feeling that a “real man” controls his emotions.

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There is a further desire — and social pressure — for men to support their family. This goal has become increasingly challenged by income inequality, stagnating salary growth and the cost-of-living crisis in Western countries, and exacerbated by depictions of male “success” in online communities often being framed around luxury consumption.

During a panel hosted by Channel 4 senior client lead Nick Alder, musician and actor Jordan Stephens noted that going to the gym is “the only affordable way of feeling a sense of progress” for many young men, but he warned that many associated influencers on social platforms spread traditionalist versions of masculinity that can be harmful.

“You don’t have to be connected to people around you to have success in capitalism, but you’re going to be fucking lonely and empty,” Stephens said. “And I think more young men need to know that.”

“Toxic masculinity” has itself become a toxic phrase because of its lack of nuance, according to Stephens, TV personality Paul Carrick Brunson and Campaign Against Living Miserably CEO Simon Gunning; if men are told they are innately “toxic”, they become defensive and turn towards voices that reinforce existing ideals of masculinity, the group suggested.

Stephens added: “There is an inference that masculinity in and of itself isn’t a good thing.”

Can brands modernise masculinity?

The belief that a man should be the breadwinner in their household was especially prominent among conservatives and ethnic minorities, according to the report. And as NRG vice0president of content development and marketing strategy Holly Hewlett explained, masculinity is still being defined in contrast to femininity; for example, if you aren’t the breadwinner, then you must be the homemaker.

“Yes, these pillars are rooted in quite traditional ideals of masculinity and we’ve deliberating chosen these names to reflect that,” Hewlett said. “But we see these pillars as a framework to build upon, not boundaries to stay within.”

She further noted that young British men were found to feel the strongest pressure to “be masculine” comes from women rather than other men.

“This growing gender empathy gap — where men and women are experiencing masculinity from very different vantage points — signals a disconnect,” Hewlett continued. “For brands, there’s a powerful role to play in bridging that gap through stories that build mutual understanding.”

Channel 4’s recommendation for advertisers is that to speak more positively to men, these pillars of masculinity need to be “modernised” to communicate effectively and improve business outcomes from consumers in the cohort.

That could include exploring greater nuance in how gender is depicted, including more intersectional stories; taking cues from popular male culture, such as in sport or online communities; better celebrating male friendship in creative; and leaning in to fun ideas.

Then there’s simply depicting young men in ads more. While men are depicted in a majority of ad creative, just 17% of male characters in ads are assumed to be aged 19-29, according to the report.

“Gold standard” depictions of men in media that fulfilled positive role models for less traditional forms of masculinity include Ted Lasso, Danny from Big Boys and Jack Pearson in This Is Us.

According to Stephens, more work can and should be commissioned that speaks positively but honestly about the young male experience. He argued that there has been a dearth of such professionally produced media in the UK since The Inbetweeners (2008-2010).

The benefits for brands could be substantial. According to Kantar’s Gender Unstereotype Metric, cited by the report, brands that portray men in a positive light benefit from a 37 percentage point increase in brand equity and a 27 percentage point rise in short-term sales.

Mirror on Masculinities surveyed 1,000 men aged 18-34 in the UK, alongside in-depth interviews with 24 men in that cohort.

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