"It's Time to Update" tackles outdated media portrayals of masculinity with humor at heart.

In this absurd short film, "God" emails humanity, poking fun at how those stereotypes no longer reflect reality. Young men have diverse aspirations for success, and the film emphasise this. It ends with a powerful message: "It's Time to Update." Visit the Unstereotype Alliance website to find out more!

Gen Z men experience an ongoing clash of internal aspirations, beliefs, and dreams, and external stimuli around the topic of what success looks like for men.

Situation:

Media (movies, influencers, advertisements) portrays a monolithic version of masculinity, clashing with Gen Z’s internal aspirations.

Importance:

Research shows a negative impact of media on young men's sense of success (66% feel it). Crucially, this occurs during formative years (10-24) when 75% of mental health issues emerge.

Brief:

Unsteroetype Alliance wants an intriguing film that showcases that success for Gen Z men is not monolithic, and that it’s time for media to change their approach.

Objectives:

1. Relevancy & Empowerment: Show Gen Z men we understand their struggle and inspire them to pursue diverse definitions of success.

2. Promote change: Spark a conversation within the media industry, urging them to showcase a wider range of what "success" looks like for young men.

Insights:

• Social change occurs when someone makes the first step and is vocal. (The price of Success: New Macho (2023)

• Social Identity theory (Us Vs Them) is key when trying to unite people over change. (Social Identity Theory In Psychology (Tajfel & Turner, 1979)

• For Gen Zers sharable entertainment, sarcasm, comedy and easter eggs is king. These are the #1 motivation for Gen Z when consuming content. (GEN Z: Building a better normal, Wunderman Thompson Intelligence & VICE Media 2019)

The Strategy:

Gen Zers have been bombarded with classic emotional ads telling them to be themselves - they know that.

Unstereotype Alliance will ignite social change by coming out with a powerful and relevant way that captures the attention and nudges change.

We aim to stand out by not telling them what they need to think and do, but instead, giving voice to their internal thoughts around success and stating the obvious: It’s time to update the outdated.

The execution:

We'll make a short, funny, and absurd ad that cuts through the noise. Think fast-paced, relatable jokes, and hidden clues that everyone (even God!) will understand. It'll end with a clear message: it's time for an update.

To boost shareability and relevancy with Gen Z, the ad will be packed with familiar sounds and hidden gems from start to end.

The aim:

Our approach tackles a sensitive topic utilising absurd and relevant humor to spark discussions and drive change, all without downplaying its importance.