Carlos Ginez is a designer diving into creative paths to nurture relatable human connections. They use their artistic skills to create thought-provoking work. They believe the human output of emotion leaves a more substantial mark on people’s lives when attempting to make change. They have chosen to approach masculine identities and their toxic traits, specifically within the minority culture and community, in effort to erode toxic masculinity.
Their project, titled “DETOX,” is an awareness campaign that provides insightful information for people who identify as masculine. The campaign has several components—a series of posters, a short film and a social media campaign—to capture the viewer’s attention. The poster series uses abstract forms to convey a less stereotypical image of masculinity. The stereotypical depiction may be perceived as rigid and strong. However, a softness is woven into the visuals. The color palette consisting of black, white and orange brings a well-balanced, lighthearted feel to the contrasting bold “DON’T BE A COWARD.” message, creating a well-balanced intentionality. The color palette consists and bold typeface draws you in.
The short film demonstrates relatable situations of toxic masculinity in minority communities. As the film is a work in progress, the message is adaptable, and asks others to advocate for those minority communities and specifically to those who identify with toxic masculinity. The messages give slightly enticing prompts selected from the data collected from in-person interviewers. The campaign pushes onto trending social media platforms like Instagram, tiktok and Whatsapp.
