• by August 17, 2005

M-NESS IS FROM MARS, WRITTEN BY VENUS -- JWT, the ad agency formerly known as J. Walter Thompson, tells the Riff it is embarking on a quest to better understand and leverage one of the world's most important, but frequently misunderstood consumer segments. In fact, it is a demographic group that is so large, it represents roughly half of all consumers: men. We have only one thing to say about the ad shop's new mission: good luck. In our opinion, men are the second most confusing of all demographic segments. Naturally, the person heading the agency's initiative is a woman.

"Instead of relying on lowest common denominator, stereotypical solutions, we are striving to depict 'balanced men,' 'men of the world with conscience,' and other positive portrayals of men," Marian Salzman, executive vice president-director of strategic content at JWT, said, making odd, finger-bending gestures on either side of her head as she explained the agency's "balanced" and "conscientious" approach to the effort, code-named: Project Y Chromosome.

The project includes the release of a new book, "The Future of Men," which Salzman co-authored with another woman, Ann O'Reilly, who also happens to be an executive with the improbable title of editorial director-strategic trend-spotting and research at rival ad shop Euro RSCG. The book, which will be published in September by St. Martin's Press - not to be confused with Sir Martin's press - provides an intimate portrait of the 21st century male, and reveals how he differs from his predecessors.

"All too often in the marketing arena, we're portraying man as the victim - of his sexual organ or his lust, his emotional neediness, his over-inflated ego, or his sheer ineptitude," explained Salzman. Okay, so Salzman clearly has her finger on the modern male, but why this massive gender study and why now? Because the market is "ripe for reinvention," says Bob Jeffrey, a man who also happens to be chairman-CEO of JWT, and Salzman's boss.

Jeffrey describes Madison Avenue's gender orientation as a classic case of marketing role reversal, in which women are now depicted as, "independent, empowered 'Sex and the City' or 'Lara Croft' types," while men have faded into a "collective boob-dom, a sort of 'Jackass' meets 'The Man Show' meets 'The Simpsons'."

Aside from describing precisely what we have stored on our TiVo hard drive, Jeffrey makes a compelling case for Project Y, and says that the agency has already identified four archetypes that define the new masculinity, or a what JWT is coining "M-ness."

One of the archetypes, he shares, is the ubersexual - a man who is supremely confident (without being obnoxious), masculine, stylish, and committed to uncompromising quality in all areas of life. To learn what the other archetypes are, and how they apply to things like media and advertising, Jeffrey demonstrated another male-like quality: greed. "For heaven's sake, buy the book," he stammered, nearly losing grip on a TV remote control he was inexplicably brandishing, as if to make some point.