Creative Ad of the Day

Ad of the Day: Instagram and Calm tackle body image taboos in young men

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By Imogen Watson, Senior reporter

April 28, 2021 | 6 min read

The implications of the pandemic for mental health have been huge – so much so The Royal College of Psychiatrists has called it a “mental health crisis”. One area that doesn’t get enough airtime is the impact male body image has on young men.

Instagram and Calm tackle body image taboo affecting young men

Instagram and Calm tackle body image taboos in young men

As a direct result of the pandemic, over half of young men have felt negative about their body, while 48% say their mental health has suffered because of how they feel about it, according to research commissioned by Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm).

Scrolling through Instagram, while the body positive and self-love moment is positively thriving, there is an obvious gender divide. The thousands sharing their experiences of body changes during lockdown, advice for self-care and motivational messages – as well as hashtags such as #bodypositivity and #selflove – are generally female, with a distinct lack of male voices in the conversation.

On a mission to get more young men to feel comfortable talking about these sensitive issues, Calm has teamed up with Instagram on a series of interviews called ‘Calm Body Talks’.

It features some famous faces, like Jamie Laing who opened up about his own height and hair worries, and Russell Kane who discusses the societal issues of ‘bigorexia’ and male role models. Joining them on the project, ex-pro footballer Leon McKenzie discusses the physical and mental impact of retiring from the game, and body acceptance activist Stevie Blaine opens up about teenage insecurities and his personal journey to self-love.

“Body image worries affect people of all genders, body types and backgrounds. And the conversation is much deeper than just weight or body shape,” argues Simon Gunning, Calm’s chief exec.

He says that the worries are complex, and can have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing. “We know that men can often feel disengaged or excluded from the conversation of body positivity because of unhelpful stereotypes,” he says.

Click on the Creative Works gallery below to vote for it. To get in touch about Ad of the Day, please email imogen.watson@thedrum.com.

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) and Instagram: Calm Body Talks

By Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)

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