Goodvertisings: Men’s Caring in Ads

Goodvertisings: Men’s Caring in Ads investigates the role of men’s caring in advertisements. The report focuses on how men are depicted in ads and how this can affect their real-life perceptions of caregiving and traditional gender roles.

Drawing from over 60 TV commercials in 2022, it highlights the current state of male caring and caregiving in both traditional and digital media. It outlines how the visual representation of men in ads reflects emerging changes in male caring and caregiving.

The report offers several key takeaways and practical recommendations that can help guide businesses, policymakers, and civil society organizations to promote gender equality better and promote male engagement in caregiving:

• The “incompetent” dad stereotype is being retired
• Male caregivers are portrayed with multidimensional personalities
• The negligent dad stereotype persists in multiple manners
• The career man stereotype remains prevalent
• Ads tend to be silent on men’s caregiving struggles

As the report illustrates, media representation can shape and reshape how men approach caregiving. By leveraging this potential for positive change, businesses can create more equal gender roles and foster healthier relationships between men and women in society.

Contents

• Backgrounds
• Purposes
• Methodology
• What is working well?
• What remains stereotypical?
• Recommendations

This report was originally published on the CARE in Vietnam website.