JK Uses Image To Good Effect

In 1884 the first New Zealand representative rugby team was formed. Ever since, the All Blacks have been the male icons of New Zealand. They are muscular, toned, tough and invincible. Young boys and men all around the country aim to be just the same as Richie McCaw, Jonah Lomu, Colin Meads, John Kirwan, and Sean Fitzpatrick. The list of macho sportsmen is huge and under our noses all the time.

When the All Blacks win a game it’s front page news. More important than any other event, worldly or national. The highlights of an amazing try or tackle are replayed for weeks after the game. And the stars of the match sell endless products on TV. Whether they are flexing their biceps to sell bottled water or pushing cars to promote Powerade, they are strong, tough blokes who let nothing get them down.

For decades we have lived in a country where our males are expected to be the epitome of masculinity. And only recently are our men being allowed to have a softer side. No longer are they just burping, belching, burly brutes. The Ministry of Health’s recent depression ad campaign featuring John Kirwan has revolutionised the expectations of men in NZ.

John Kirwan was an all star All Black who had ‘lived the New Zealand dream’. He was staunch and strong. The ultimate bloke. It wasn’t until the ad campaign, in which he talked about his own personal battle with depression, that the country realized he wasn’t just a beefy, black t-shirt running around the field.

The main message of the television ads is ‘Depression. There is a way through it.’, but the usage of John Kirwan, a role model for so many boys and men in NZ, has meant a nationwide shift in what is acceptable.

The statistics show that there are significantly more male deaths by suicide than females. And a main reason for this is the way society puts the walls up around men. You can’t cry. You can’t talk about your feelings. Don’t be a sissy. Harden up. Be a man. Get over it. But finally, these walls are being broken down. In the five adverts featuring Kirwan he swings the mallet himself, ‘I went to a mate of mine and he said ‘harden up’. Hardening up is not what you need to do’ and ‘You need to tell someone…just reach out.’ For a man of such prestige in NZ to say these things, it is evident that social acceptance is taking a real turn for good and for once, we can applaud the media for their influence.

The Ministry of Health’s research report shows that only 11% of men had either negative or neutral feelings towards the campaign. The wide positive reaction to the ads shows that one campaign has been able to change the view on men who need help dealing with stresses and pressures in life, thus counteracting the masses of adverts that show men exercising, building, drinking and driving cars; anything tough and physical.

No longer do males have to hide their emotions. They are allowed to cry and they are allowed to talk about their feelings. After all, if the big man in black can, any man can.