Plastic Change Brings New Meaning to Toxic Masculinity in Spoof Campaign

Aug. 07, 2025

From incel culture to the rise of the manosphere and the cult of Andrew Tate, we’ve all heard of toxic masculinity - aka the stereotypically male behaviours that are harmful to men and society as a whole. Now, Danish NGO Plastic Change is bringing an even more sinister meaning to the concept with a clever campaign highlighting how microplastic pollution is, quite literally, turning men’s genitals toxic. Faced with the direct threat microplastics pose to male fertility, the organisation is appealing to the mostly male delegates at the world’s biggest plastics convention to act. And think with their dicks.

Created by independent agency Worth Your While in collaboration with Glue Society, the campaign, "Are You Packing Microplastics?", humorously spoofs Calvin Klein’s iconic underwear ads to raise awareness of a serious issue: microplastics are everywhere - including in 80% of penises - contributing to lowered sperm counts and declining male fertility.

Shot by renowned fashion photographer Derek Henderson - satirising his own style showcased in Vogue, Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton - the campaign features a series of black and white images, featuring buff male physiques clad in skin-tight boxer shorts. But in a clever twist, the bulges in their underwear have been subtly replaced by PET plastic bottles - while instead of featuring the brand logo, the waistbands are woven with headlines including "How toxic is your masculinity?" and "4 out of 5 dicks are packing plastic".

Launching today to coincide with the UN Global Plastics Treaty INC-5.2 talks in Geneva, Switzerland, the campaign aims to put pressure on the predominantly male delegates to act decisively against new plastic production - by hitting them where it matters most: the physical manifestation of their masculinity.  

 

Research shows many men disengage from environmental issues because they associate caring for the planet with femininity, seeing eco-friendly choices as a threat to their masculinity. Using this insight, Worth Your While flipped that narrative by deploying hypermasculine visuals and framing microplastics as a direct threat to male fertility, to leverage the demand for action on microplastics in the global plastics treaty.

Recent research also revealed that microplastics are present in 80% of penile/testicle tissue samples and 100% of semen samples tested. The resulting campaign leverages a key facet of modern masculinity to create a powerful call to action.     

The campaign will feature billboards in Geneva, strategically placed to confront global decision-makers mid-negotiation, alongside OOH placements in Denmark. It will also run globally on Plastic Change’s digital and social channels (Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook) with a call to action directing viewers to share the campaign message and upload their own #PackingPlastic pics to socials (plasticchange.dk).
Social amplification will be driven by male influencers including biohackers, fitness figures and podcasters. 

Are You Packing Plastic will run globally from 5-14 August 2025.

Anne Aittomaki, Strategic Director, Plastic Change commented:

"Environmental campaigns often fail to reach men. Studies show that many men associate environmentally conscious behavior with femininity and are therefore less influenced by the messages of environmental campaigns. The campaign aims to flip that script by reaching out to men. If saving the planet doesn’t feel urgent, maybe saving your sex life and ability to reproduce will. This isn’t scare-mongering – it’s science. And it’s time all men paid attention.”

 

Tali Madsen, Chief Strategic Officer, Worth Your While added:

“In rooms filled with delegates wielding decision-making power over the future of global plastic policy, the science that plastics are in our brains, in our breast milk, and even unborn babies has yet to spark necessary change. By hitting men where they are most vulnerable, this is not about shock for shock’s sake; it’s a strategic communications move to administer a necessary wake-up call that might finally make them realise what’s at risk.”