A man could once sell almost anything in advertising as long as he looked confident. Fairness could make him successful. Deodorant could make him irresistible. And innerwear could prove his sexual prowess. The formula was simple: the more conventionally masculine he looked, the more desirable his life appeared.
That formula has not disappeared so much as been rewritten. Today’s male consumer is worried about acne, pigmentation, hair fall, body odour, his stomach showing through a t-shirt, and whether his clothes fit the way they should. He cares about skincare, shapewear, grooming and appearance without having to pretend he does not.
And brands are responding to the same. Clothing brands are talking about body confidence and fit, skincare brands are making acne and pigmentation part of the male grooming conversation, and agencies are seeing brands address concerns that were once too awkward to name.
But there is a fine line between making men feel seen and making them feel inadequate. The same advertising that gives men permission to acknowledge their insecurities can also turn those insecurities into something to buy their way out of.
From the macho man to the self-aware consumer
Akshay D’Souza, Independent Consumer Consultant, traces this evolution from the ‘masculine and macho’ image of a man to his softer, more human version. “More recently, we see a softened male image portrayed. Men can be emotional, can express feelings, can move from low/no grooming and care requirements to being a metrosexual male who has a personal care routine,” he says.
Brands are increasingly addressing once-taboo concerns, from hair thinning and skin issues to body odour and sexual health, as explicit consumer needs with targeted product solutions.
For Shaily Mehrotra, CEO & Co-Founder, Fixderma & FCL, the shift is particularly visible in skincare. She says, “Men are becoming more conscious of acne, pigmentation, tanning, oily skin, premature ageing, body odour and the need for maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
Earlier, personal care for many men could be reduced to a bar of soap. Now, men are reading ingredients, understanding their skin type and looking for products that address specific concerns.” That transition has opened up an entire commercial vocabulary around male grooming.
When insecurity becomes a product proposition
XYXX is approaching the same territory through clothing and body confidence. Petal Gangurde, Chief of Brand and Culture, XYXX, says, “What we’re witnessing is less about entirely new anxieties and more about men getting comfortable enough to acknowledge concerns they may have always had.” She points to concerns around ‘how clothes fit, how the body looks in different silhouettes, skin and hair grooming, body shape, and even the tiny details that can influence how confident one feels in what they’re wearing.’
Gangurde adds, “We’re creating solutions that address comfort, fit, support and therefore, confidence.”
“Our communication is also evolving in the same direction—moving away from traditional masculinity towards more relatable, honest and often humorous conversations around how men dress, groom and feel about themselves,” she says. The opportunity lies in turning private concerns into public conversations and product propositions without creating new insecurities.
Bharat Subramaniam, Founder & Managing Director, BigTrunk Communication, points to how this is also changing the way agencies define the male consumer. “Brands are no longer asking us to speak to ‘men’ as one audience. The triggers are becoming much more specific,” he notes. He highlights how a man worried about hair fall may behave very differently from someone looking for a better skincare regime or trying to look good on a dating app. “Digital has made these differences visible. We see it in searches, comments, content consumption and the kind of conversations audiences engage with.”
The line brands cannot afford to cross
The commercialisation of insecurity, however, comes with an obvious risk. If advertising keeps telling consumers that something about them needs fixing, it can turn ordinary differences into problems that require products.
Subramaniam elaborates on the distinction. “The problem begins when advertising takes something completely normal and teaches people to see it as a flaw.” Mehrotra makes a similar point in skincare. A young man with acne may genuinely want to address it, but that does not mean he needs to be told that clear skin is a prerequisite for looking attractive or confident. “The product should solve a problem that already exists. It should not manufacture a problem just to sell a product,” she clarifies. For instance, XYXX’s six-part micro drama series with content studio 145 East, launched in September 2026, turned the small habits of body-conscious men, like tugging at a shirt or sucking in the stomach, into comedy before introducing the Sculpt Vest product as the answer. It spoke to a concern many men carry but rarely admit to, and the humour came from recognition rather than shame. D’Souza cautions brands against turning inadequacies into selling points. “As we broaden this conversation, it is important not to weaponise inadequacies, especially those of physically or mentally challenged people; or even in children.” He adds, “The claims must to be acceptable by medical standards as brands often cross the line while claiming the outcomes of their products.” Traya’s September 2026 mall installation let men see the crown of their head under a panel that told them their mirror had been lying to them. The brand’s early detection argument had merit, but the installation still handed men a flaw they had not noticed only to offer a kit to fix it.
A new ideal in the making?
The macho man may be fading from advertising, but the ideals it sets for men remain. The old template demanded toughness, success and physical strength; the new one risks replacing these with clear skin, a groomed beard, a good physique, stylish clothes, emotional awareness and constant self-improvement. As Gangurde puts it, “The definition of masculinity is broadening, but we should be careful not to replace one rigid standard with another.” The challenge for brands is to represent men with different bodies, grooming habits, emotional lives and attitudes to appearance, rather than prescribe another ideal. “Some care deeply. Some do not. Both are real consumers,” says Subramaniam.
Therefore, the opportunity is to acknowledge men’s insecurities without making the pursuit of an ideal appearance a prerequisite for confidence.
