Advertising best practice, evidence and insights

Article • WARC Best Practice, February 2020

Explores how the roles of modern men in society are changing and advises on how marketers should respond to this behavioural change in order to effectively advertise to men, particularly across different cultures and at a time of social change.

How a gender strategy can improve your marketing

Article • Amy Fridlund, WARC Best Practice, November 2017

Provides advice for marketers on how to better meet the needs of different genders and highlights the potential problems for brands with gender issues.

How to market effectively to men

Article • Scott Manson, WARC Best Practice, February 2017

This article describes the best practices and principles to keep in mind when marketing to men, a group changed by recent history; ideas of masculinity and roles in society have changed - marketing must change also.

Zomato: How Zomato won the game before the game

Case Study • Tushar Handa, WARC Prize for Asian Strategy, Shortlisted, 2020

Food delivery app Zomato ran a gamified, multi-channel campaign targeting young male cricket fans in India to drive sales, user acquisition, engagement and regional penetration.

Why Viagra shifted the conversation away from doctors

News • 13/08/2020

When Viagra Connect, the over-the-counter treatment for erectile problems, launched into the UK market two years ago, the focus was on functional communications to spread awareness, but today it’s taking a very different approach – here’s why.

How Bevel builds an authentic grooming brand for Black men

News • 12/08/2020

Bevel, a grooming brand made by Walker & Co. to address the personal-care needs of Black men, has built equity with its target audience through a focus on authenticity, passion and purpose.

Bevel grooming products stand up to specific needs of Black male consumers

Article • Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ANA Brand Building Conference, July 2020

Bevel, the grooming brand made by Walker & Co., successfully tapped into a gap in the market when it came to meeting the distinct personal-care needs of Black men.

How an Influential Idea repositioned Gillette

Opinion • Lucy Aitken, July 2020

Gillette’s We Believe campaign earned its place on the first level of the Creative Effectiveness Ladder where Influential Ideas attract attention and controversy, writes Lucy Aitken.

Gillette: Father's Day

Case Study • SABRE Awards, In2 EMEA, Best Content Creation for Media Sites (Earned), Gold, 2020

Gillette, a shaving brand, told the stories of men who grew up without fathers in an emotional video on Father's Day to make an impact among men during this key period in the UK.

Saudi Telecom Company: Forget Old Habits

Case Study • Dana Alkutoubi, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2020

Telecoms operator STC took over salary week with a multichannel strategy to appeal to male household providers and boost downloads of its STC Pay digital wallet in Saudi Arabia.

Burger King: Who said men don't cry?

Case Study • Ali Khalil, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Silver, 2020

QSR brand Burger King targeted young Saudis with a social media 'trolling' campaign featuring football icon Sami Al-Jaber to drive sales of its new spicy menu across Saudi Arabia.

Emirates NBD: Inspire What's Next

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, Tala Arakji, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Bronze, 2020

Private bank Emirates NBD grew brand favourability and sales with an awareness campaign in the United Arab Emirates.

Etisalat Misr: Hekaya – Family Talk.

Case Study • Dina El Dessouky, Yosr Khalifa, Mustafa Darwish, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Bronze, 2020

Egyptian telco Etisalat crafted a comic campaign to narrow the gap between itself and Vodafone and win customers over to its hybrid offer.

Clear: Abtal El Shawarea' (The Stars on the Streets)

Case Study • Yasmin Shehab, Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2020

Shampoo brand Clear boosted brand favourability and awareness through a football-centred initiative in Egypt.

Mastercard: Priceless Journeys

Case Study • Tahaab Rais, WARC Prize for MENA Strategy, Entrant, 2020

Payment card brand Mastercard gave a human face to the promotions game in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to boost awareness and usage.

Future Men: The Journey to Future Men

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, EMEA, 2020

Future Men, a non-profit organisation, launched a survey on what it means to be a man in the UK and launched the results alongside a debate between its CEO and Piers Morgan to squash old stereotypes of being a man.

Bupa: Check Your Tackle

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, EMEA, 2020

Bupa, a healthcare company, launched a video and display ad campaign featuring famous rugby star and cancer survivor Matthew Rees during the Rugby World Cup to educate British men on the dangers and symptoms of testicular cancer.

Bucking gender stereotypes in ads pays off

News • 19/06/2020

Brands that flip outmoded stereotypes and depict women in roles that have traditionally been associated with men could witness several beneficial effects, according to a study published in the Journal of Advertising Research (JAR).

Effects of nonstereotyped occupational gender role portrayal in advertising: How showing women in male-stereotyped job roles sends positive signals about brands

Article • Karina T. Liljedal, Hanna Berg, and Micael Dahlen, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol. 60, No. 2, 2020, pp. 179-196

Stereotyped occupational gender-role portrayals still are used frequently in advertising. Despite this, no previous research has examined their effects.

Unilever South Africa - Shield: Sbonis’Idiski

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Platinum Finalist, Africa, 2020

Shield, a deodorant brand, launched PR events that discussed the state of football development in South Africa to increase relevance for the brand and its soccer sponsorship.

Gillette: We Believe

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Diamond, North America, 2020

Gillette, a shaving brand, created a YouTube film in the US to turn its classic tagline into a thought-provoking question surrounding masculinity.

Washington State Department of Health: It's About Respect pilot campaign

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Washington State Department of Health, a state agency of Washington, tackled the issue of sexual violence among young people in Washington by launching social videos and posters in a pilot school.

Buffalo Wild Wings: B-Dubs – Jewel Stool

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Buffalo Wild Wings, a restaurant company, promoted itself as an authentic sports bar by designing custom barstools for vasectomy patients to recover in during the March Madness basketball event in the US.

Pampers: #LoveTheChange changing tables commitment

Case Study • SABRE Awards, Gold, North America, 2020

Pampers, a nappy brand, partnered with influencers and celebrity partner John Legend to promote the need for more changing tables in men's toilets in the US and Canada as part of its mission to celebrate hands-on dads.

The Daily Show Investigates The Secret Life of Pets

Case Study • AME Awards, Finalist, 2020

Universal, a film studio, teamed up with The Daily Show to promote the release of The Secret Life of Pets 2 in the US by releasing a film that showed what pets really get up to when their owners aren't there.