Men in ads need more nuanced portrayal
Brands riding on Father's Day celebrations last Sunday launched their print and digital campaigns to capitalize on emotions linked to the occasion to influence customers. Companies, across categories, that released special communication marking Father's Day included SBI Life, Instamart, Niva Bupa Health Insurance, Myntra, De Beers and Zomato among others.
The Zomato campaign stood out for its storytelling and collaboration with other leading digital brands, said communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan. While Zomato, Blinkit and District are part of the same company, other apps which collaborated on the ad included Urban Company, Uber and Spotify. Its quintessential message was that 'Appa' (dad) works harder than all these apps put together as he repairs home appliances, sings lullabies and transports his child on his two-wheeler. 'The caring father evokes the sentiment that before you used apps to do things, there was only 'Appa,' Srinivasan said.
Diamond company De Beers' print ad was a hand-written note of appreciation from a GenZ daughter to her dad thanking him for starting to understand her lingo, binge-watching K-dramas with her and accepting her fashion sense. 'Not just in Father's Day campaigns, but usually brands showcase only the ideal version of men in ads. Unlike in films, there is no place for a hero or a villain in advertising,' Srinivasan said. Toxic masculinity may be on display in films like 'Kabir Singh' or 'Animal' since movies reflect at least some reality while ads are aspirational, he added.
Lately though, the depiction of men in advertising and films has become a subject of great debate. Based on research by Kantar, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy released a report in March titled 'Manifest: Masculinities Beyond the Mask, in collaboration with the Unstereotype Alliance and Religious Brands. 'Today, masculinity -- and the patriarchal structures that organise society -- are facing a crisis… Simultaneously, women are rising as equals and competitors,' the report said.
In certain categories like e-commerce, tech, and menswear, there's a more evolved depiction of men -- softer, more caring, and less driven by ego. 'However, this seems to be a re-working of the traditional gentleman role, rather than a substantial challenge to the predictable man script. Some of these narratives that, at first glance, seem progressive, may also create more pressure by asking men to live up to both the protector and the caregiver, instead of un-stereotyping masculinity,' it said.
Srinivas noted that the nearly 30 Father's Day ads he saw, pitched dad as the caregiver and provider, with no new thought. Ekta Relan, chief strategy officer, Saatchi & Saatchi India, agreed that the archetypical father ads, except Zomato, were underwhelming.
The ASCI Academy report focused on the 'crisis' in traditional masculinity, with men feeling increasingly alienated, insecure and confused owing to societal changes and rise in gender equality. It sought a nuanced approach to depicting men in ads given the pressures they are facing.
At a webinar organised by the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) on the same theme, Ekta Relan said that the reasons for men's identity crisis are rooted in women's empowerment journey over decades. 'In redefining the role of a woman, a man's role at home, in the family and society also got redefined. And they aren't conditioned for it,' she said.
One response to this identity crisis was the resurgence of the alpha male seen in films like 'Animal'. 'The other was masculinity taking pride in sharing the load,' Relan said. For decades, there was a hero who never died, a father who never changed diapers and a professional who never failed. 'But now we see a father tearing up at his daughter's graduation ceremony and a CEO posting about his anxiety on social media,' she said.
When 'Animal' succeeds, it raises questions about their real identity. But Relan said the future of masculinity isn't singular. 'Variations will co-exist which is an opportunity for brands. They must choose and sharply project the core of masculinity they want to represent because a male consumer today is not choosing a product, but an identity,' she said.
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