Misrepresentation of women in advertisements has been a topic of discussion. New research show this is not limited to women as men, too, are under represented.
Men across all age groups felt that advertisements shown to them perpetuate stereotypical attitudes towards masculinity, according to data in a report titled “Masculinity Maze” by market research firm Kantar Research.
“Our analysis reveals a dual reality when it comes to masculinity narratives. While some traditional beliefs about masculinity are consistently reinforced by advertising, other outdated norms persist more strongly in media than they do in men’s own beliefs. This disconnect presents both a risk and a strategic opportunity for brands,” Kantar said in its report.
Men surveyed in the study felt that traditional stereotypes were reinforced and genuine struggles like financial pressures and internal conflicts were under-represented in the advertisements. The progressive portrayals of men were shown in advertisements to women, but not to men themselves, the said.
Men said that 35% of ads perpetuated the belief that real men don’t cry, 27% of them perpetuated the fear that men do not voice their fears and 24% felt that sharing problems with women reduces status. This pressure is not limited to psychological but also physical standards, gender dynamics and decision making. For example, men felt that a quarter of the ads say that appearance is a man’s social currency and 33% of the ads affirm male dominance in technology choices. More than half of the gen-z men (born after 1997) felt that ads were not reflecting but perpetuating male stereotypes.
Part of the problem is the gender composition of the samples used for testing the advertisements, the report found. About 76% of the automotive advertisements are tested only on men and no ads were tested on just women . Just 24% of automotive ads are shown to both men and women, the report read. This is not limited to a few products. More than 90% of advertisements for household products and 87% of advertisements for personal care were shown only to women for testing purposes. The share of advertisements shown only to women was higher in food, and drink ads, ranging between 65%. Just 33% of apparel ads are shown to women alone. Over 43% of apparel ads were shown to both genders.
The report has data on how men feel they’re represented in advertisements, and men across all age groups felt their “real struggles” were not portrayed. The report recommended that sample for testing ads had to be more equal, ads should reflect and not tell the male viewers what to be, focus on emotional journeys and depict contemporary masculinity.
The nationwide survey captured the views of 880 men aged 18–45 across eight major Indian cities and detailed analysis of 457 advertisements, curated to reflect the range and frequency of what Indian consumers are likely to see in a typical month.
Published – July 17, 2025 08:47 pm IST
