In 19 days of campaigning, the opposition leader has been pictured at 11 bowsers, donned high-vis at five factories and two construction sites, and ridden shotgun in a mine cruiser, a dump truck and several Liberal vehicles.
While these photo opportunities help amplify coalition policies, they also align Mr Dutton with a specific type of male voter.
"We've seen that more 'battler', everyday, average Aussie masculinity in the more right-wing conservatives," Monash University politics lecturer Blair Williams told AAP.
Dr Williams, who specialises in gendered analyses of Australian politics and media, said conservatives under previous prime ministers, such as Robert Menzies, used to lean into a more middle-class, genteel masculinity.
That changed when Liberal prime minister John Howard won over traditional, working-class Labor voters at the 1996 election.
The turncoats were referred to as "Howard's battlers" and the coalition - alongside other global conservative movements - has continued to eat into this demographic as market reforms such as the elimination of price controls and deregulation leave them behind.
"A lot of people aren't happy with the status quo and people are trying to capitalise on that through more conservative messages that target men and a certain kind of masculinity," Dr Williams said.
In 2018, US academic Cara Daggett coined the term "petro-masculinity" to describe the way fossil fuels were often used to reinforce traditional, male notions of power.
While her original article was written in reference to US President Donald Trump and his first term, similar themes have been identified in Mr Dutton's campaign as he pursues outer-suburban male voters.
Mr Dutton has committed to bringing down the price of petrol and scaling back fuel efficiency penalties while positioning himself as a protector of women and children.
Both leaders' slogans to "make America great again" or "get Australia back on track" evoke a sense of nostalgia for cars, suburbs, and the nuclear family oriented around breadwinners who work within fossil fuel industries.
On Wednesday, a reporter tried to ask Mr Dutton what the coalition was offering modern working women at the May 3 election.
Mr Dutton responded by explaining his housing plan and efforts to lower inflation would also help female demographics such as homeless women.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken a more targeted approach.
Labor has pledged support for feminised industries such as health and child care, and Mr Albanese has painted this kind of masculinity by visiting four urgent care clinics and a school and interacting with at least four babies.
"I call it the 'state daddy' image ... it's about that more compassionate and caring form of political masculinity," Dr Williams said.
"It's still appealing to the everyday Aussie - especially families - but not excluding women in that."
27°C