Portrayals of successful men and masculinity have regressed, contributing to declining mental health and self-esteem among young men. The Unstereotype Alliance has been committed to leveraging the advertising industry to address harmful stereotypes and promote positive change. With 66% of millennial men feeling misrepresented in advertising, there’s an urgent need to redefine success and masculinity for Gen Z (ages 18-27). The challenge is to present a more diverse, contemporary understanding of how men perceive success. The print should be authentic yet eye-catching, engaging, and inviting conversations to eventually lead to behavioral change. The aim of this campaign is to challenge regressive portrayals, emphasize diverse positive representations, redefine how Gen Z men see success, and promote young men's mental health.

"Shape Your Own Success" showcases diverse interpretations of success for men. It rejects a fixed image, presenting instead a customizable interactive puzzle where everyone can draw on to define success on their terms. The poster’s simplicity masks its depth, revealing a spectrum of qualities and daily achievements that contribute to personal fulfillment.

The textbook-like appearance symbolizes an unfinished canvas, reflecting the ongoing journey of shaping future. The universal symbol of a man catches the right target audience and sets the theme. Each dot of the puzzle represents a unique facet of success, celebrating positive traits and everyday victories. This approach encourages men of all backgrounds to embrace their uniqueness and appreciate the diversity of success stories.

Targeting Gen Z, the poster includes a digital template for users to create and share their personalized success shapes, initiating internal dialogue and conversations. "Shape Your Own Success" cultivates a positive environment by highlighting everyday wins.

Our print ad campaign, "Shape Your Own Success," responds to the Unstereotype Alliance's call to redefine masculinity and success for Gen Z men (ages 18-27). Our strategy focuses on presenting a diverse, customizable view of success that resonates authentically with today's young men.

The ad features a simple yet impactful design: a puzzle metaphor symbolizing an unfinished canvas for personal definition. Each puzzle dot represents a facet of success—personal achievements and positive traits—encouraging men of all backgrounds to embrace their uniqueness. This approach challenges fixed notions of success, promoting inclusivity and self-expression.

Targeting Gen Z, the campaign includes a digital template as a bonus to reach and engage men on social media. There is a QR-code on the print which allows to share your custom success shape on Instagram Stories. Printed posters that can be drawn on, will facilitate dialogue in public spaces like educational institution libraries and bus stops. By showcasing everyday wins and diverse success stories, "Shape Your Own Success" aims to break stereotypes and inspire young men to pursue fulfillment on their own terms.

Our goal is to foster positive behavioral change by empowering individuals to define success beyond expectations. Through this campaign, we strive to contribute to a more inclusive media landscape that supports young men's mental health and self-esteem, promoting a future where diverse representations of masculinity thrive.