I’m not a fan of hyperbole, but I think it’s pretty fair to say that in 2025, masculinity is at a cultural crossroads in the UK. The familiar archetypes are no longer fit for purpose – amplified and indeed weaponised as they have been by Andrew Tate and his manosphere copycats – and are thankfully being challenged by a modern society that increasingly demands emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and equity.

As outdated ideals give way to more inclusive models of masculinity, a pivotal question emerges: can brands be more than passive observers of this evolution? Can they actively help redefine what it means to be a man?

The answer is both urgent and complex. Turn on Netflix’s Adolescence, and you’ll see a generation of boys wrestling with mixed signals – caught between fragile hypermasculinity and a hunger for something more emotionally real. Gareth Southgate’s recent comments echo this confusion, warning that young men are increasingly “looking for identity in places that do not always serve them well”. The mental health statistics back him up: male suicide remains the leading cause of death among men under 50 in the UK, while conversations around vulnerability still carry the weight of stigma.

“There’s a kind of cultural backlash happening,” says Tad Greenough, global chief creative officer at Pernod Ricard. “We’re seeing Tate, Alpha Male dating coaches, and all these binary depictions in the media. It’s clear that the definition of male identity is becoming increasingly polarised.”

Dan Guinness, managing director at the positive masculinities charity Beyond Equality, agrees, noting that “consumers are split in their expectations of what men could and should be… Some are excited by the potential for growth, others are clinging to the emotionally closed-off version of masculinity they were told used to exist.”

What brands stand to gain by depicting more positive portrayals of masculinity

From message to meaning: A role for brands?

Yet amid this crisis, there is also an opportunity for brands to step in, not with slogans, but with substance. Brands have always shaped cultural norms, often unconsciously. Now, they’re being asked to do so with greater intentionality. Progressive representations of masculinity can challenge stereotypes, validate emotional openness, and help men, particularly younger ones, see themselves differently.

Some brands are already charting this new course. Dove Men+Care has long portrayed men as nurturing and emotionally expressive, redefining care as a form of strength. “They’ve been consistent and strong in this space for years,” Greenough observes.

To be effective, representation must be nuanced, not performative.

Another standout is Harry’s ‘A Man Like You’, a campaign that gently dismantles the idea of a singular masculine ideal. “What they’ve done well,” he adds, “is show that masculinity doesn’t have to be a choice between strength and sensitivity. Men can, and should, be both.”

Greenough’s work with his colleagues at The Glenlivet reflects this ethos. “We wanted to explore what it really means to be a dad in today’s world,” he explains. “So we conducted a social experiment for Father’s Day, asking real fathers to read a script generated entirely by AI, based on decades of stereotypical depictions of dads in advertising.” The result was revealing. “Let’s just say it didn’t quite hit the mark… The AI gave us an outdated, cookie-cutter dad – stoic, emotionally unavailable, obsessed with tools and toughness. But real fatherhood, as we saw through these dads and their children, is so much more layered than that.” The campaign, under the banner #BreakTheStereotype, celebrated the full spectrum of modern fatherhood, from the dads who fix cars to those who call roadside assistance, to the rugged to the marshmallow-hearted.

Mark Brennan, CMO at Allianz Ireland, sees this kind of brand advocacy not just as a moral imperative, but as a strategic one. “We’re at a critical juncture,” he says. “There’s a meaningful shift toward authenticity and vulnerability, but that shift has created ambiguity. It’s now up to brands to step in as constructive forces, to model healthy masculinity and use their platforms as advocates for change.”

And the business case is strong. As previously reported in Marketing Week, an Ipsos study recently found that campaigns featuring a progressive masculine portrayal are 38% more likely to have a positive impact on brand equity, and that ads that score high versus low on positive masculine gender portrayal are 37% more likely to drive a larger sales lift.

Representation isn’t enough. It has to be real

But to be effective, representation must be nuanced, not performative. Guinness warns against tokenism: “We know from our work that a lot of men are feeling an absence of belonging. To truly connect, campaigns need to recognise men’s human struggles – hard work, disappointment, grief. It’s not about idealising masculinity; it’s about grounding it in reality.” One of the most powerful things a brand can do, he says, is “to show versions of masculinity that allow connection to women in non-sexual, non-fatherly ways, based on mutual respect and friendship”.

Community-led initiatives also matter. Allianz Ireland’s partnership with Women’s Aid through its Ally Action List exemplifies a shift toward meaningful allyship. “We want to create marketing that doesn’t just resonate,” Brennan explains, “but contributes to a cultural shift. When we collaborate with ambassadors like rugby player Jordon Conroy, it’s not about celebrity, it’s about authenticity and alignment with values that promote gender equality.”

So the question isn’t whether brands can help redefine masculinity. The question is, which ones will actually have the courage to lead?

Guinness puts it succinctly: “Brands and celebrities can help piece together a new picture of masculinity, one that people can imagine themselves within. But for that picture to resonate, it has to build on existing ideas, and it has to be supported by the people and structures around them.”

Which brings us to influencers and public figures, whose roles have never been more critical. In an age where online personas can rapidly polarise, the choice of who represents your brand says as much as your messaging does. “Public figures have a responsibility,” Brennan emphasises. “They can challenge harmful norms and inspire change. Gareth Southgate is a perfect example – he’s using his platform to lead young men toward a healthier, more respectful version of masculinity.”

In it for the long haul

The challenge now is to avoid the trap of “moment marketing”, brief bursts of social messaging with no structural backbone. “There’s a real danger in creating the illusion of progress without the substance,” Greenough notes. “We need to see more middle ground, where brands embrace the full spectrum of male identity, not just what’s trending.”

That means going beyond external messaging. Internal company culture, hiring practices, community investment, and advocacy must all reflect the values brands claim to stand for. “From our research,” Brennan says, “we know that many men want to be allies and advocates. But organisations need to create the pathways that allow that potential to grow.”

There’s no silver bullet for redefining masculinity, but there is a clear opportunity. Progress won’t come from a single campaign or bold ambassador alone. It will come from a deeper, collective effort: the stories brands choose to tell, the behaviours they normalise, and the identities they choose to include – or exclude.

We must be careful not to cast current male identities only as a problem to be fixed. Because if we want to build a more equitable culture, men need to see themselves in it – not as relics of a past era, but as valued participants in what comes next.

“We want to show that in progressive visions for the world, there are men – and they are respected and valued,” says Guinness. That’s not just a creative challenge. It’s a cultural one.

For brands, the stakes are higher than they might appear. This isn’t about riding the next social trend, it’s about whether you choose to shape culture or be shaped by it. Messaging without action will be called out. Nostalgia-driven stereotypes won’t cut through. And the middle ground – the messy, real, human complexity of masculinity – is where trust will be won or lost.

So the question isn’t whether brands can help redefine masculinity. The question is, which ones will actually have the courage to lead? Who’s ready to do more than craft a clever campaign and commit to building the kind of cultural legacy that doesn’t just move product, but moves people?