It’s 2024, and the biases, taboos and misrepresentations around women’s ageing are starting to fall. Silver women are increasingly present in runways and pop culture, bringing forward much-needed discussion around beauty, ageing and menopause. Yet when it comes to representation of the silver demographic, men seem to be left out of the picture.

Aside from the ‘dad-bod’ or the stereotypical prostate joke so common in the stand-up comedy landscape, men lack collective direction from our culture when it comes to the mid-years; there seems to be no ‘end date’ on what men are capable of at any age. Unlike women, depictions in culture suggest men are barely bound by life stages at all, with expectations of them continuing to be athletic, self-sufficient and physically attractive. This is not only unfair but can be damaging. In so many discussions of masculinity today, the topic of ‘the ageing man’ is lost.

With menopause, women, the wider world, and the medical profession have a narrative and frame of reference for thinking about, engaging with and diagnosing changes that women face. For better or for worse, it serves the purpose of attracting attention and building a community around a number of needs for ageing women. As the menopause discourse has grown, women increasingly feel empowered by greater sharing of knowledge and solutions, armed with the ability to embrace and anticipate the change, rather than resist it.

The cultural awakening around the topic of menopause, highlights the lack of discussion around ageing men. The lack of an equivalent frame for men likely plays a role in men’s sense of isolation around age-related change. This can be compounded further by the fact that many men struggle to open up emotionally, even more so for older men, who will tend to be more bound to traditional masculinity than younger men.

In the Ipsos Perennials survey, men were asked how many friends, if any, they had with whom they would discuss a serious or sensitive topic. 19% of those aged over 55 said no one, compared to only 7% of those under 24, indicating that older men are less likely to have people to talk about these issues with.

There has indeed been some level of recognition of the need for an equivalent frame for men already today, with the medicalised term ‘male menopause’ or andropause. But this, unsurprisingly, hasn’t taken hold: Whether through medical or cultural resistance, leveraging a term that has only been associated with the female hormonal experience hasn’t gained any traction. But, it’s increasingly important for men to have a meaningful and distinctive frame for ageing well, for the very sake of their own self-worth and protection as they age. Brands bringing the authenticity – let’s do this for the men instead of continuously playing into the tired tropes of eternal youth.

Take incontinence as just one example. According to research from Tena, 25% of men over 40 experience involuntary urine leakage.  Despite this being an actual challenge men may face as they age, most men use improvised solutions because they feel emasculated by purchasing specific products. In other words, male urine leakage is a taboo – representing loss of virility and a threat to masculine identity and self-worth. It’s also considered a woman’s problem.

In the same vein, when a man may begin to use Viagra during middle-age, it is often viewed as a personal failure rather than a way of using science to empower himself, in the same way HRT might be viewed for women. As much as Viagra has been normalised culturally, it remains somewhat taboo for ageing men because hypersexuality is a common stereotype of traditional Masculinity.

Taken together, these are both signs that male sexuality and ageing can stand to gain from a refreshed frame that normalises age-related change and fuels a useful cultural conversation. Men are lacking a meaningful way to engage with the noticeable decline in health or loss of control over their body as it challenges their masculine self-perception. This pressure to maintain an appearance of virility is so strong that one in ten men have not gone a doctor about a physical health problem to preserve this image. 

Why brands should change the narrative

Brands should start the conversation. This is your opportunity to challenge the status quo and lead the way for ageing men. Brands who want to speak more powerfully to the silver demographic and really all men, need to set a more positive, and authentic narrative reflecting what the data show: that whilst middle age may be rife with physical change, it is perceived to be a happy time for many older men.

Challenging negative stereotypes, debunking myths, and telling more positive stories about ageing can help men feel less alone, reassured, fairly represented and, hopefully, more receptive to age-related communications and products. Disruptive brands will address this challenge head-on, which can fundamentally shift the category and cultural norms around men’s health.

Hims brand did exactly this for uncomfortable issues like hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and premature ejaculation. They have built a fun, approachable and relatable brand identity that has redefined the category and de-stigmatised these topics. Overlaying this is their credible and informative tone of voice, conveying medical language in a human and engaging way. Their investment in out-of-home, light-hearted marketing campaigns is targeting men at key points in their day, and paving the way for other brands to follow suit, but in their own distinctive way.

Shifting the dial for categories aiming to target ageing men importantly holds the possibility of honouring the middle-aged man’s experience. It can build the much-needed community and clarity around their new experiences and sense of belonging. There is boundless untapped potential for brands in this space: as brands open the doors to play a more significant role in encouraging men to broach more emotional or sensitive topics with others, men can begin to provide help, advice, and support for one another. There is no underestimating the power of interpersonal relationships and word of mouth here as a profitable strategy.

Calling all brands that serve men: With such a rich cultural conversation on women and ageing now, it is a time for brands to take men on this journey, and challenge the status quo. And who knows, we might even find a better label than ‘male menopause’ in the process.