Underwear brand recruits men of differing sizes for body positive campaign

The campaign wanted to highlight different body sizes (Photo: Surge)

A new underwear brand has decided to feature men of all shapes and sizes in its new marketing campaign.

Surge, based in the UK, launched last week.

One of the company’s directors is US-born gay model and reality TV star Austin Armacost.

Armacost, with his gym-toned physique and pumped biceps, is not an unusual choice to represent an underwear brand. However, Surge has tried to break with the norm in its other choices of model.

In a statement, the brand said, ‘NHS figures that show the number of men being admitted to hospital with an eating disorder has risen by 70% over the past six years, and those referred for treatment has risen by more than 40% in the past two years.

‘We feel as a men’s underwear brand we don’t to add to the pressure men feel to look a certain way. It’s very normal for society to discuss women suffering from body image issues but the men seem to be forgotten and we hope to help to change this in any way we can.’

‘Every day man’

Armacost says, ‘We sat down and designed this range over a year ago and from day one it was decided that our brand was going to be an inclusive brand.

‘We do not want to ostracize anyone. Men with muscles, skinny guys, larger guys we want them all to feel sexy and confident when wearing our brand. Every single person is beautiful and this needs to be celebrated more.

He said the brand wants to display and accurate representation of ‘every day man.’

One of the models featured in the campaign is Daniel Leo Stanley, 30, a gay man from the British city of Brighton.

Asked if he felt pressured to look a certain way, he said in a statement: ‘Not a certain way, but generally there is a pressure to lose weight and to be muscly, etc. I do try to ignore that and work with my body’s natural size and shape.’

He says social media has made people all the more body conscious.

‘The constant comparison to each other is normal, but at such a high rate is unhealthy.’

He told GSN he’d enjoyed taking part in the campaign: ‘The shoot was great! Such a relaxed fun atmosphere and after half an hour we were all gossiping like old friends!’

Check out more images from the campaign below

All images via Surge. Surge is available from surgeunderwear.com

See also

Austin Armacost on finding love after divorce: ‘Our sex life is amazing’

Reality TV star Austin Armacost tweets ‘brave’ selfie and gets dragged