Successful Generation presents the way Generative Fill in Photoshop imagines successful men by generating diverse variations — something Gen Z struggles with.

The first scene takes place on the red carpet and features all possible types of successful men — wearing tuxedos and skirts, being paparazzi and drag queens.

The second one depicts a successful man’s transport: a speedlover’s motorbike or a cute planetlover’s bike, a tuk-tuk of a man who loves navigating the city or … nothing — for the ones that don’t.

Next, we see a successful man’s leisure which can be tough sports, drunk karaoke, mindful meditations, or romantic dates.

The last scene shows a successful man’s vacation: (still) working with a laptop, surfing, playing with kids or enjoying solitude.

Although in the beginning, the viewer may think the story is about having diverse versions of success, it isn’t. It’s about the ability to imagine them — just like AI does.

Situation:

Despite the progress the world has made, successful men are still portrayed one-dimensionally — rich, powerful, attractive in the most stereotypical way. The modern youth don't feel represented in this image; their definition of success is different — they aim to be healthy and inspired, while navigating the most vulnerable time of their lives.

Brief:

We need to offer Gen Z men a fresh and empowering visual narrative on what it means to be a successful man today; to challenge the regressive portrayals of men and present success as multifaceted and individualised, reassuring them that every version of success they can imagine for themselves is possible.

Objectives:

- to connect with young men seeking role models;

- to show diverse and positive examples of success and masculinity;

- to resonate within the digital spaces where Gen Z spends time;

- to promote narratives that contribute to mental wellbeing;

- to address the negative impact of ‘manfluencers’.

Although Gen Z is considered the most progressive generation, they still struggle when it comes to meeting society’s expectations. For example, according to the research conducted by Starling Bank, 71% of 18-24 year old men think they should become the primary breadwinner, while 58% of them are afraid to feel ‘emasculated’ if their female partner were to earn more than them. This mindset is not only harmful to their mental health but also narrows the horizon of opportunities and possible scenarios of their future.

We wanted to free Gen Z men from the unhealthy ‘success’ stereotypes imposed by the media that stand in the way of achieving the actual success they wish for themselves. To do that, we decided to connect with ‘successfully frustrated’ Gen Z through the digital tool that, according to Forbes, 70% of them use on a daily basis — AI.

Artificial Intelligence is considered the representation of society. Everything AI can imagine is possible in the real world if one puts their mind to it. Although AI’s image-generative tools are still in development, and the images might not sometimes look perfect or realistic, it always gives us options to choose from. And if you don’t like any, you can generate again.

And this is how the Successful Generation is born.