YOUNG men are feeling under pressure to match sexualised images of male models and their perfectly sculpted pecs and six packs.

The idea of using men as sex objects to sell everything from underpants to cars has been labelled ‘Hunkvertising'.

Historically, advertising images of beautiful women wearing very little have become vilified as sexist and oppressive.

But the advertising industry is now routinely using men in campaigns that idealise the male form, are deliberately sexy and ‘a bit of fun’.

David Beckham has launched his own underwear range with H&M and uses his own athletic physique to promote the products

Examples include David Beckham in his H&M or Armani underpants and David Gandy in his swimming trunks for Marks & Spencer.

Ford even made a car commercial promoting the keyless entry system for its EcoSport SUV using a male model in his Speedos to a backing track of the 1958 hit Lollipop.

At the same time, actors such as Channing Tatum, star of the Magic Mike films featuring male strippers, and Aiden Turner with his top off in Poldark, are lauded.

While the remarkable transformations from couch potato to muscle man pushed by magazines like Men’s Health are fuelling the pressure.

Singer Justin Bieber shows off his gym-honed physique to promote Calvin Klein briefs and model David Gandy smoulders for a Marks & Spencer campaign

Research by Mintel published today (wed) found more than a quarter of Britain's males complain that men are sexualised in adverts.

And one in six - 17 per cent - of men aged 16-24 agree that ‘ripped’ male models featured in advertising campaigns have made them more self-conscious.

Mintel said one quarter of all males find it hard to identify with men that are shown in adverts, whilst 22per cent say the images are an unrepresentative stereotype.

The idea of the stupid blonde bimbo has become ridiculous in terms of the portrayal of women, however advertisers have little reluctance about portraying men as fools.

Ford even made a car commercial promoting the keyless entry system for its EcoSport SUV using a male model in his Speedos to a backing track of the 1958 hit Lollipop

Mintel found that one in five men agree that advertising too often portrays men as incompetent in the home.

The company’s Consumer Lifestyle Analyst, Jack Duckett, said: ‘The trend for using hyper-athletic male models and celebrities in advertising has grown significantly in recent years, giving rise to the term 'Hunkvertising', and resulting in men today being just as sexualised in advertising campaigns as women.

‘Whilst this holds a level of aspiration for some men, for many more it has resulted in feelings of inadequacy. This points to an opportunity for brands to create more campaigns that feature average, everyday men.’

The research suggests the images are changing the way men think about themselves and their bodies.

Aiden Turner's top-off turn in BBC's Poldark sent pulses racing during its 2015 run

As a result, Mintel said men put a greater priority on being in good shape in the future than they do on having a relationship.

Almost half – 45 per cent - say that being in good shape is a priority for the future, compared to 38per cent who prioritise getting married or being in a long term relationship. The figure for wanting children is a lower 23 per cent with getting a promotion at work just 18 per cent.

Some 50per cent of younger men – those aged 16 to 34 - rank being in good shape as a priority, which compares to 44 per cent who listed having a close group of friends.

Former England captain Beckham has modelling gigs with H&M and Armani

Mr Duckett said: ‘Health has been a dominant trend in the UK in recent years, and this is evidenced by the high proportion of men who cite eating healthily and being in good shape both as current and future priorities.

‘With advertising increasingly promoting hyper-athletic bodies as a symbol of modern masculinity, men are feeling under pressure to emulate the physiques they see on screen.’

The idea of being swayed by marketing is also being seen in sales of designer label fashions.

When shopping for clothing, shoes and accessories, one in five - 19 per cent - men say it is important to purchase a well-known brand compared to 16 per cent of women.

Interestingly, significant proportion of men are equally offended by marketing campaigns that sexualise women.