Why Asia is so behind in its representation of men in ads

The advertising industry is no stranger to conversations regarding female representation in ads. While far from perfect, significant changes have been noted. However, when it comes to representation of men, the conversation is rather muted.

Published in 2006, the Advertising Educational Foundation, masculine advertising often conveys “power, strength, virility, athleticism and competitiveness.” According to Center of Media Literacy, advertising archetypes present men as ‘in charge’, ‘self-contained’ and often ‘alone’. When shown with other men, there is often an element of aggression and when shown with women they must be dominant. On an everyday level, while conversations around toxic masculinity have also become more prominent, we ask the ad industry on how male representation in ads has evolved. In Asia, particularly in Southeast Asia, men are still generally seen in traditionally masculine roles in ads, said Kevin Poh, group creative director of independent creative agency GOVT.

“Unfortunately, for the most part, the role-reversal hasn’t happened as much yet for men in our neck of the woods - even as they are becoming more involved in what was previously been considered feminine roles such as childcare and housework,” he said. Poh added that traditional representations of men in advertising ascribe certain attributes to male characters which are then propagated as being desirable. These roles depict men to possess agency, and be driven by action, and are key decision makers on “serious” products such as cars, gadgets and finances.  They are often breadwinners, the go-getters - the alpha.

Meanwhile, in ads for leisure and entertainment products and services, men are often cast in boys-will-be-boys scenarios, like watching football together, enjoying a beer and bingeing on fast food. "There remains a wealth of opportunities for brands to really delve deeper into modern masculinity with less traditional aspirations and other nuances that younger — and even older — men can relate to," he added. 

How do these men look like?

When it comes to the male body image perpetuated by the media, Emir Shafri, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe said it is often of the well-groomed men with fair “Pan Asian” complexion, ideally with defined muscles and perfectly chiseled abs. Unfortunately, characteristics that fall outside this definition such as plus-sized males, or feminine mannerisms, are sadly still used as comic reliefs, Emir explained.

Moreover, men are also not generally cast in roles that might need them to be vulnerable, perpetuating the pressure for men to appear “emotionally strong” while burying their struggles with mental health, Emir added.

Like Emir, Casey Loh, chief creative officer of boutique agency The Clan also pointed out that typically in Malaysia, clients usually ask for the “Pan Asian” talent to front ad campaigns or brands, hoping to appeal to a wider audience across different ethnic groups. “While we’ve seen some brands break those stereotypes, most are still drawn to work with talents that represent traditional perceptions of masculinity,” he added. When it comes to diversity, Malaysian clients are willing to explore different ethnic groups. However even for the few that have broken the mould, Loh says their approach is to work with talents that have a comedic appeal or wide social media following, which is encouraging to see but perhaps not enough.

But is progress being made?

The short answer is yes. But probably not fast enough. Loh shared that while in Malaysia, men have taken on some semblance of domestic roles in ads, making the shift from being just the breadwinner to also more hands on in their family duties, this is usually represented during festive seasons.Social media and influencer marketing is also leading to the shift in representation. For example, on platforms such as TikTok, you see Indonesian and Thai male influencers doing make-up and skincare tutorials using products typically targeted to women.

“This is perhaps influenced by the Korean oppas, who proudly take care of their skin and would don make-up, without being portrayed as ‘lesser-than-ideal’ men,” explained Emir. He added that social media is also opening up the market for representations of the  “dad-bod” and plus-sized males, as well as more gender-fluid or non-binary influencers. “We’re beginning to see more refreshing portrayals of father figures who are active, present fathers and husbands,” he added.  When asked why the shift in Asia isn’t happening as quickly as in the West, Emir explained that fear of alienating more conservative audiences could be a reason.

“But as pop culture and social media embrace a more diverse male body image and role, one could hope brands would eventually follow suit,” he said.

Examples of progressive advertisements 

1) AIA Malaysia - "A Spicy Chinese New Year”

This ad is a light hearted spot about a father’s attempt at cooking reunion dinner which shows the male protagonist being more hands on in family duties.

2) PETRONAS - "Boyz in Da Hood"

The commercial features Indian men being reprimanded by an elderly relative for putting on a macho front. Loh said that this advertisement defied conventions.

3) Ariel India - #ShareTheLoad campaign,

The campaign has inspired men to see women as their equal and pledge to “share the load” at home.

4) Calm Collective - “Deal with It” 

This advertisement aims to challenge the stigma around acknowledging mental health issues and the expectation that the best way for men to deal with mental health struggles is to keep it in “like a man”.

5) Julie's - 'Ini Iklan Raya baru, tau?' 

In the film, a male actor defends his female co-talent against the stereotype of the stay-at-home mum, duty-bound to bake Raya treats from scratch lest she be labeled as ‘lazy’. He also questions the need for him to show off his muscular physique, which according to Poh is an ironic, self-aware dig at ads that promote unrealistic portrayals of men and what it means to be one.

Related articles:
Gillette's new 'toxic masculinity' ad: When to bite the backlash bullet
In a strange twist of events, M&M's limited all-female packs get linked to China
Detergent ad removed for showing female undergarment images in Indonesia