UNSTEREOTYPE ALLIANCE PRINT BRIEF
Muscles, money, misogyny. Let’s rewrite how young men are seen.
Background

The Unstereotype Alliance is a thought and action platform that seeks to collectively use theadvertising industry as a force for good to drive positive change all over the world. Convened byUN Women, the United Nations entity for gender equality, the Alliance contributes toempowering people in all their diversity (gender, race, class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion,
sexual orientation, language, education, etc.) and addressing harmful stereotypes in advertisingto help create a more equal world. The Alliance works for gender equality across the gender
spectrum, including the LGBTQ+ community and healthy portrayals of masculinity.
The Challenge

The Unstereotype Alliance, collaborating with 240 member organisations globally, has beencommitted to eliminating harmful stereotypes from advertising since 2017. We've made notable
strides in how women and girls are portrayed, but the representation of men and masculinity
has largely stagnated or regressed over the past 75 years based on Getty Images research. Thisoutdated portrayal in media contributes to a concerning rise in regressive gender attitudes
among young men, fueled by ‘manfluencers’ promoting harmful ideologies, and a distressing
decline in the mental health of young men and boys.
Research indicates that 66% of millennial men feel that advertising negatively affects their senseof success, highlighting a significant disparity between men’s perception of success and its
portrayal in the media. Our challenge is to redefine these entrenched narratives and present a
more diverse, contemporary understanding of success for men. We seek your creativity todevelop a print idea that not only raises awareness but also commands attention withstopping power.

Target Audience

Primary – Gen Z men (aged 18–27) who spend their downtime in digital spaces and on social
media (watching content on YouTube, reading/participating in conversations on Reddit, gaming
and chatting online).
Gen Zers are known for their social responsibility, dedication to social and political issues anddemand for authenticity when it comes to brands and advertising.
This means that branded content needs to grab their attention immediately or risk being passedover for something else.

Insight

Despite the strides made in addressing harmful stereotypes in advertising, the portrayal of men
and masculinity remains largely unchanged or regressive. In the age of digital media saturation,
there’s a unique opportunity for print media to disrupt the status quo and challenge theseoutdated narratives. Print has the power to capture attention, evoke emotion and provoke
thought. By harnessing the stopping power of print, we can effectively raise awareness andspark conversations around the need for more inclusive and authentic representations of men
in advertising.
Research findings from BBD Perfect Storm New Macho’s ‘The price of success’(https://www.bbdperfectstorm.com/priceofsuccess) show that when asked, “How did you
define success when you were younger and how do you define it today? a) Me when I wasyounger b) Me today”, the top two answers for a sample of 18–75-year-old men from the UK
and the US were:- Younger: 23% – making lots of money- Today: 22.6% – feeling happy and content about my day-to-day life

StrategyWe need a bold and impactful print idea to connect with impressionable young men, presenting
them with new, empowering narratives of masculinity.
Key points:
Evolve masculine depictions. Challenge the outdated and regressive portrayals of men inadvertising and visual narratives.
Inspire positive change. Show young men diverse and positive examples of success andmasculinity.
Counter harmful influences. Address the negative impact of ‘manfluencers’ and regressive
gender ideologies.
Support mental health. Highlight and promote narratives that contribute to the mental
wellbeing of young men and boys.
It takes just 1.3 seconds for Gen Z to lose active attention for ads – less time than any other age
group, according to a global study by Yahoo and OMD Worldwide.

Key Message

Every man has his version of success. Let’s show him that many versions are possible.

Personality
Authentic, Open-minded, Positive, Pragmatic, Realistic

Campaign Dos and Don’ts

Don’t● vilify any one expression of gender or depiction of masculinity/femininity● present men criticising other men● present feminism or gender equality as a threat to men● call out specific brands/ads for being ‘bad’● refer to masculinity as ‘toxic’.
Do● present positive and pragmatic alternatives that authentically reflect what successmeans and/or looks like to men● be constructive and instructive● widen the aperture of what success looks like● bring Gen Z together through this campaign – we currently see the greatest divide inideologies between Gen Z men and Gen Z women than ever before; it’s imperative that
we don’t widen this gap and pitch them against each other.

Specific Deliverables
Each team will be submitting the following for the Print competition:1. a digital proof – the digital version of the original advertisement or execution, exactly as
it would run
2. a three-part written submission – to give more context about the work. This includes:
a. background – overview of the brief, objectives etc
b. creative idea – covering the demonstration of how the idea was designed to earn
the attention of the target audiencec. strategy and insight – explaining the insight and strategy behind the work,
including the target audience and how your print ad answers the brief
3. OPTIONAL: a digital supporting image – digital images that may support your entry in theJury room.