The Reissumies brand is campaigning for tolerance and men’s diversity

According to a survey ordered by Fazer, nearly half of Finnish men see male representation as narrow. The iconic Reissumies, beloved by many Finns, wants to broaden its male representation so that more men could feel accepted just as they are. Reissumies will feature new faces in its packaging in this autumn’s campaign.

In November, Reissumies will feature new faces showing a new, more diverse male representation on a million bread bags. 

This autumn’s Reissumies faces are diversity and inclusion consultant Dakota Robin, rap artist and children’s football coach PastoriPike and ice hockey legend Marko Jantunen. Each of them promotes tolerance and acceptance of diversity through their own work and is therefore selected as a campaign face.

According to the recent survey*, male representation – the conceptions and ideals concerning men – is narrow in Finland. Almost half (44%) of the respondents feel this way. At the same time, male representation is seen to be in transition, especially among young adults. 53 per cent of the respondents under the age of 30 agreed with this statement.

A little over half of all respondents felt that brands and companies should take a stand for topical issues, such as male representation. Of young adults, more than 70 per cent feel that companies and brands should raise topical issues.

“So far, not many companies have spoken about male diversity. As the survey shows, this is an important topic to be raised. The inspiration for the campaign comes from one of our company values, “Northern Liberty”. It means that at Fazer, we support everyone’s right to be who they are and their freedom to make their own life choices. We want to promote acceptance, diversity, and equality – and create a discussion on the topic. Reissumies is now taking a stand for these matters”, says Ari Ahola who is responsible for the Reissumies brand at Fazer Bakery Finland.   

Younger men feel that male representation is narrow

According to the survey, Finnish men consider both the general representation of men as well as their own view of masculinity through very different lenses. Age and life situation, among other things, affect this.

Those under the age of 30 feel that the view of masculinity is narrow and expect male representation to be transformed. Others’ opinions on masculinity somewhat affect young adults (41%). A third of them feel pressure in social situations to play out a role of a man that does not truly represent who they are.

Men over the age of 60 have the strongest and clearest experience of controlling their own path. Of respondents aged 45–60, almost 60 per cent felt that the opinions of others do not affect their masculinity.

Family encourages, social media discourages – advertising also plays a role

Family and people close to the respondent have the greatest impact on the respondent’s view of masculinity – and the impact is primarily positive. Friends have a positive effect, especially on young adults. With respondents over 60, the impact of family is emphasised. Family and friends have a positive effect, but social media is a different story. One in three respondents say that they feel social media has a discouraging effect on their own view of masculinity.

In addition, advertising by companies and brands matters. Approximately a third of men feel that brand and corporate advertising is a significant factor in what masculinity entails – in both good and bad. Only 16 per cent feel that the impact of advertising on their own masculinity is encouraging, whereas approximately a third (29%) feel that the impact is discouraging.

Reissumies invites everyone to discuss male representation and the survey results on the @FazerSuomi channel in Twitter.

#reissumies
#omantiensäkulkijoille

*In October 2021, Fazer conducted a survey on male representation together with Nordstat. The respondents included over 800 Finnish men aged 15–75 from all over Finland. 

Further information

The Fazer media phone serves Mon−Fri from 8 am to 4 pm, tel. +358 40 668 2998, media@fazer.com

Fazer Group

Fazer, The Food Experience Company, enables people to enjoy the best moments of their day. In 1891, the young Karl Fazer opened his first café with a mission to make food with a purpose – and a passion to create moments of joy for all the people around him. Shaping the next tastes, traditions and food experiences, Fazer’s vision is Towards Perfect Days. Fazer wants people to experience the Northern Magic it creates and builds on its strong heritage, consumer first approach and innovations to create the sustainable food solutions of the future. The Group focuses on fast-moving consumer goods, operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. In 2020, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.1 billion euros and almost 8,500 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.

Northern Magic. Made Real.