For decades, the CPG industry has leaned on a clichéd model of masculinity: durability and toughness, expressed through bold typography, dark packaging, and rugged brand voices. Think Old Spice, Dude Wipes, and Monster Energy. But a new archetype has emerged. 

Enter, the performative male.

You may spot him outside your favorite coffee shop, iced lavender matcha in hand, jorts on, or perhaps double-kneed Carhartts, Sally Rooney’s Normal People cracked open, tote bag slung with a dangling Labubu. You lock eyes; he winks. You look away.