How Male Consumers Respond to “Enlightened Manvertising” Campaigns

Abstract

The results of a survey of U.S. men (N = 285) indicated that participants’ gender schemas, hostile sexism, political orientation, and support for women’s rights influenced their attitude toward “enlightened manvertising,” which refers to advertising that redefines masculinity by promoting both masculine and feminine traits as elements of contemporary manhood. The study uses the advertising self-congruence framework, which in previous research has not been applied to the context of gender and gendered identities. The results show that enlightened manvertising messages resonate with men who self-identify strongly only with masculine traits or who score high in both masculinity and femininity. Support for women’s rights was positively associated with attitude toward enlightened manvertising. Men who expressed overtly misogynistic views more likely would have a negative attitude, as were men who identified as more conservative in their political orientation. The overall results suggest a link between men’s views on redefining masculinity and their views on women and women’s roles in society, with implications for the success of campaigns that attempt to tackle gender identity and equality.