Unstereotype Alliance, convened by UN Women, is known for using the advertising industry to drive positive global changes. The goal is to address harmful stereotypes to help create a more equal world. The Alliance promotes equality in all its forms, including healthy masculinity portrayals.

While the association made notable strides in portraying women figures, the depiction of men and masculinity has stagnated. This outdated portrayal fuels regressive gender attitudes among young men and contributes to declining mental health. Research shows 66% of millennial men feel that advertising negatively affects their sense of success, highlighting a significant disparity between what they want, and what the society wants them to be.

The challenge is to redefine these narratives and present a contemporary understanding of success for men as a print idea that commands attention and raises awareness.

To immediately capture the attention of a Gen Z audience, we decided to use a seemingly straightforward statistic about the annual earnings of the stereotypical successful man as an impactful truth about achievements nowadays. However, upon deeper and more empathetic reading, this statistic reveals a much more impactful and relevant message. It critiques the current "success system," which targets young people through a form of brainwashing that leads to insecurity, exhaustion, and ever-increasing expectations. But at what cost?

The idea was designed to provoke an immediate reaction from the target audience by leveraging their familiarity with the high standards of financial success. The statistic initially draws them in with its apparent focus on wealth, a common metric of success. As they read further, the true message unfolds, highlighting the detrimental effects of this narrow definition of success on mental health and overall well-being.

The strategy aims to capture the attention of young people as quickly as possible, recognizing that Gen Z is not inclined to spend more than a few seconds on any media, especially print. To achieve this, we created a striking phrase that immediately grabs their attention with a fact: today's idea of success for men often means earning millions annually. However, young people see this as an obstacle due to increasingly high standards and a focus on large numbers, economic success and material abundance. Yet, big numbers do not always indicate true success, and they often mask significant problems.

Our goal is to immediately engage the audience with the opening and closing lines, while the body copy follows to clarify the message. It juxtaposes the "ideal" salary needed for a successful life with the annual number of men who contemplated suicide driven by today's skewed view of success. This contrast supports those who feel pressured to achieve a success that does not resonate with them, dictated by societal expectations.

The target audience are young men, particularly those in the Gen Z demographic who are navigating societal pressures and high expectations. This print addresses the brief by highlighting the mental health issues tied to modern success metrics and challenges the notion that financial wealth equates to a successful life. It encourages a reevaluation of what true success means, promoting a healthier and more personal perspective.