Progressive Indian Brands That Are Challenging Societal Norms With Their Ads

The excruciating two minute breaks between the unravelling of a murder mystery or Masterchef Australia’s challenge reveal/ mindless Arnab Goswami rant (are we giving away too much about our bad taste in television here?) often seem pointless in its existence. Most of us just watch the images whip past the television screen seemingly oblivious to what’s happening before us. However, what most of us fail to realize is that even that short lapse between programs is incredibly powerful in affecting our subconscious minds. Subliminal messaging  is hardly a new discovery either. Considering we’re a young population and it’s already been proven that our youth watch far more TV than they read,it’s suffice to say ads play a vital role in putting social messages out. That is, when brands actually do take on their social responsibility towards their addicted and malleable audiences.
The first time we put this compilation together, it was inspired by the release of Ranveer Singh’s endorsement of a condom commercial—bold for its time and much-needed too.Since then, Indian advertisements have taken a stand and made bold statements that are much needed right now and have shattered societal convention to show us exactly what we stand to lose as a community when we can’t be more accepting or more compassionate towards one another. We’ve managed to find a few ads that we think are topnotch, incorporating mediums as diverse as print, digital media and video. 

 I. Nike- Da Da Ding

You can always count on Nike to provide a good ad, but when we saw this our hearts just jumped for joy! For once, Nike India provided an ad that wasn’t just catchy, but socially conscious as well. With the spotlight on India’s female athletes working every day to be the best they can be, Nike managed to let a lot of us be aware of just how much our athletes (especially the women) sacrifice to be at their A-game. With Sakshi Malik being the only athlete to bring in a medal for us this Olympic year, it just goes to show how often we overlook our athletes on a regular basis and how little support from our community and government they have despite beating great odds and coming out on top.

II. Ariel- Share The Load

For most of us, growing up was already a scary experience without the added expectations of gender roles. From its more covert angles of sly, subtle marketing on our grocery and toy stores marked with “for boys” or “for girls” to its more blatant forms like when our mothers told us to wash the dishes while our brothers got to stay back and watch TV. We live in a world with constant expectations from gender, which is why Ariel’s Share The Load advertisement came as a breath of fresh air when its main father character wrote out an apology to his daughter for setting up a bad example by not helping more. This father’s heart-warming apology comes with a promise; that he will try to be more helpful with his own laundry and household chores at home, so that his wife can be a little less stressed. It’s an ad that makes you critically reflect how much has passed on to us subconsciously by viewing our parents and what we can hope to achieve in the next generation. One thing is for sure,  maybe its time to #ShareTheLoad.

III. Anouk- Bold is Beautiful | The Visit

Count on Myntra and Anouk to launch a digital campaign that is as bold as it is beautiful. This ad caught the attention of many for its bold take on a lesbian relationship, showing two women who were gearing up in preparations for a visit from one partner’s parents. The choice to show a homosexual relationship without the added frills and stereotypes, especially a lesbian one, was new and a far cry from other hackneyed portrayals in our media. More power to them, and we hope to see more ads that shatter convention and show that love is love no matter what.

IV. Anouk- Bold Is Beautiful | The Calling

We’d be remiss if we didn’t include this second gem from Anouk, that tackles biases faced by pregnant women at work. The films opens to protagonist Shaheen who is pregnant, and being dropped off by her boss Uma, an older woman. Her boss begins to chastise her for her choice of attire which “almost hides her bump” but Shaheen doesn’t like this and talks about how unfairly she’s been treated at work due to her pregnancy. Her clients have gone to a male colleague, who also ended up getting a promotion over her. Her boss contends that it was a ‘management decision’.Uma advises the younger woman to focus on pregnancy, and tells her she will be considered for a promotion should she choose to come back. At this, Shaheen directs the driver to pull over, while a surprised Uma asks if it’s her new house. Shaheen reveals that it is her new office – one she designed herself, where she will start off on her own. A marvellous ad that exemplifies how the Indian woman has her own agency and should take charge of her own life.

V. JSW- Will of Steel

JSW Steel features a woman with a will of steel, who battled her community’s repressive attitude, overcame societal norms, busted myths and finally came out on top. This woman, real life Commonwealth Games gold medal wrestler Geeta Phogat is an inspiration to us. Geeta comes from a conservative and patriarchal village, Balali in Haryana where wrestling was always considered a man’s sport.

VI. Culture Machine- Is That You? Change The Rhyme

“Chubby Cheeks, Rosy Lips…” – who hasn’t heard this nursery rhyme growing up? However, a closer look will make you realise that for many of us, our first ideals of beauty came from very Eurocentric ideas, especially in a land where you will rarely meet people who are rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed and fair.  Change the Rhyme allows us to start a dialogue that challenges the beauty stereotypes society hands down to impressionable young girls.Culture Machine’s lifestyle channel ‘Blush’, along with ‘Dove’, continues to ask provocative questions, break the rules of beauty, and challenge the notion of ‘ideal beauty’ with this video ‘Is That You?’

VII. Dabur Vatika Hair Oil- Brave and Beautiful

Dabur Vatika’s ‘Brave and Beautiful’ campaign focuses on the struggle of cancer survivors, especially women who experience hair loss after chemotherapy, tracing the often difficult social isolation they feel and negativity in the process. The ad depicts a woman foregoing her head-scarf to get back to work, and showcases the people around her who are supportive, regardless of what she looks like. It’s high time we associate femininity in such a narrow way, and choose to be considerate of people around us.

VIII. Tata Motors- ‘Use Dipper At Night’ Condoms

In 2002, Prasoon Joshi tried to understand how AIDS awareness was affecting “low awareness-high risk” categories of people  in Tier II and III towns. These included truckers,  where Joshi soon realised that many of them did not fully understand what a condom could do, despite having a high rate of STDS. People were shown to wear a condom all day, not realising it was meant only during sexual intercourse, and others were confused by the demonstration of a condom put over a banana, and thought they would be safe as long as they covered the fruit in their homes with condoms. Understandably, something needed to be done. Introducing Dipper Condoms, a project by Tata Motors, which encouraged truckers to use their dippers at night. The analogy was easily understood, especially among the truckers who ran into sex workers on their rides and indulged themselves. Now they have a chance to protect themselves in their sexcapades. The condoms come in the most adorable packaging, and one look at them will make everyone want to use one for protection.

IX. Movie Galaxy: Piracy Is Shocking

We all know that piracy is what people thrive off in our country, and no matter how many times we hear about how hard working people who made the movie are being cheated out of their income by this, very few of us relent. Movie Galaxy, with the help of Makani Creatives came up with an ingenious way to shock us into stopping, using the iconic ‘Mother India’ poster. Take a look at this awesome print campaign!

X. The Anti-Corruption Federation of India: Don’t Bribe, Follow The Rules

Any altercation with the police is something to be avoided,but in India, how many of us have or know someone who’s gotten out of trouble by trading a few rupees in for a pass? This incredible ad by the Anti-Corruption Federation of India offers a glaring and honest perspective on bribery; the more we feed into it, the more power we are giving to people who can later oppress us for it. It might be a temporary solution to your problems to bribe off a cop, but it feeds into a world where this is the norm and the rich get away with what they want, leaving the poor behind. It also sets an evil precedent and a difficult cycle to break.

XI. Eye Bank Association of India: Blindness Doesn’t Just Affect The Blind

As a community, there’s always so much to do to help the people around us, but often certain causes are ignored. In an ad by the Eye Bank Association of India, we find a blind man who’s looking after two children but is unaware that they’re about to be hit by a truck coming in reverse. The idea they’re trying to share? That blindness doesn’t just affect the blind, but affects everyone around them if not careful. It’s a searing image into why we need to be more engaged and caring of the people around us who suffer from disabilities.

XII. DLF Saket- Diwali Noise Pollution

Not all of us enjoy the revelry of Diwali. With the city as smoggy as it already is, an addition of smog seems almost foolish to the point of no return. Our furry four-legged buddies also experience pandemonium at this time of year. If that’s not enough of a reason for you to be cracker-free this Diwali, maybe this ad will jog something in the inner recesses of your mind.

XIII. Union Bank- Joint Account

Union Bank managed to kill two birds with one stone, one is telling us the benefits of having a joint account with your loved one and the other is starting a conversation on why there are no women on our currency. In their bid to get people to create more joint accounts, they featured a 10o Rupee note with Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba right by him.

XIV. HCG- You’re Not The Only One Affected By Smoking

For the few of us that are smokers, there are increasingly a billion reasons why we shouldn’t be smoking. Beyond the obvious; our health, prospects of cancer, prospects of giving someone a disease by second smoking, infertility, emphysema, there’s just another factor. When we smoke, our children inadvertently smoke. What we smoke affects us and our unborn children just as much. So put the cigarette down, eat a sundae instead.

XV. Bangalore Traffic Police: Talk Them Dead, Boyfriend

Not a day goes by when this writer doesn’t pass at least one car with the driver texting or calling while in the middle of traffic or driving. Other than the fact that this is obviously dangerous and could result in you dying, we don’t know what else will propel people to stop using their phones when their eyes should be on the road. Thankfully, Bangalore Traffic Police did it for us. Albeit a tad gruesome, this ad definitely gets the point across and shifts blame on the people who call people when they’re driving. Of course the driver should be smart enough not to pick the call up, but people should refrain from chatting their friends ear off when their hands should be on the wheel.

[caption id=”attachment_61198” align=”aligncenter” width=”800”] Image Source: Ads Of The World[/caption]

XVI. Raymond - The Complete Man

Women who newly step into motherhood have always been portrayed as compulsively selfless and compromising. Not that this isn’t a good thing, but it needn’t always be a mother’s role alone if we’re attempting to build a more gender-balanced society. In an ideal world, both husband and wife should take up parenthood with equal commitment and compromise. And this is the message that has been beautifully and effectively communicated through the new advertising instalment of Raymond.
How did they do it? Take a look at the narrative. A working couple leave for office together. While the wife seems to be peculiarly anxious about something, the husband patiently waits for her to calm her nerves, until he realises that nothing she did would satiate her anxiety. He follows her into the house and just then the two emerge with their little baby. It is revealed that the wife was leaving for her first day of work after having her baby -emotions of a woman that none can fathom. And it is only when the father offers to stay back and look over the baby that she manages to leave for work with a little hesitance but a relatively calmer mind. All in all, it was a pleasure to see the father stepping in - a sign of support, assurance, love and most importantly,respect for working women who are also mothers.

XVII. Google Search- Reunion

This is one ad truly worth watching and spilling your tears over. The ad begins with an old man, in his nostalgic demeanour, elucidating his childhood before the partition of India to his grand-daughter wherein he fondly recalls his childhood friend, Yusuf, in Lahore sharing sweet details of their time together.

The young girl, Suman, immediately uses the details to retrieve more information through Google Search and manages to contact Yusuf. She convinces him to come and meet her grandfather. Yusuf’s son looks up the Indian visa requirements on Google and finally, they come to India. Perfect formulae for a perfect tearjerker but somehow, you won’t feel miffed with this one. At a time when political animosities are higher than ever, it’s a pleasure to see an ad do in a few minutes what our governments have been unable to do for years.

XVIII. Vogue Empower - Boys Don’t Cry

Yes, yes, we know. Vogue isn’t in many people’s good books right now post that ‘My Choice’ debacle but credit where credit is due—‘Boys Don’t Cry’ touches upon an important social issue with sensitivity. Campaigns for women empowerment have gained immense momentum over the past few years and it is undoubtedly true that women cannot be empowered unless they take the reigns of this cause into their own hands. However, what this brilliant ad brings to the fore is the fact that it’s now time to “start with the boys”. Throughout the ad, we have been given a peak into the various circumstances when we have inculcated different gender stereotypes with boys as well such as “Boys don’t cry”.
The instances depicted might seem to be extremely trivial when seen individually, but it is these trivial instances that construct a character mould that is very difficult to break out of. Most of us are left anticipating a message on the lines of freedom of expression exclusive of gender bias. However, as the ad progresses, it takes us on an entirely different tangent, addressing a bigger issue at hand - the dark shadow of domestic violence lurking behind the facade of human relationships. It ends with Madhuri Dixit addressing the viewers and saying that instead of drilling the fact that boys don’t cry into their heads, we should teach them that boys don’t make others cry. With this ad giving audiences food for thought, we can safely say that this time Vogue Empower did get it right!

XIX. New Nescafe - #ItAllStarts

A most fine blend of emotion, humour and wit, this ad definitely deserves a special position on our list. The creativity unleashed through the dialogue delivery in this ad is inexplicably commendable. The simple concept of modestly taking our imperfections in our stride has been delivered in an authentic style.
As the narrator describes his journey from a highly criticized speaker with a stammering problem to a most appreciated stand up comedian, we are made to realise that an uphill climb is always strewn with hurdles, but it depends on how we take it on ourselves that makes all the difference. The comedian made his weakness another’s laughter and another’s laughter his strength - a sign of victory in itself.

XX. Titan: Raga

Being relatable is one of the biggest strengths this ad has and its what has won it all our accolades. How many times have you heard or participated in conversations with your girlfriends where a 100 different reasons for getting married are cited, but few are ever for good reasons. From boredom to societal pressures, not only does it point out so many of our inane thought processes incredibly subtly, it constructively violates the clichés defining marriage. And then? Then it goes on to celebrate the institution of marriage for all the right reasons, for having found ‘the one’.
If it matters to you, dialogues and copy is at an all-time high with this one too.

XXI. Tanishq Bridal Jewellery

The most spoken about ad in recent times, having found its mention in the International ad circuit , is an ad for Tanishq Jewellery, directed by the sensitive Gauri Shinde. The ad was warmly appreciated all over media for number of its stereotype breaking moves. The girl adorned with jewellery (Priyanka Bose) was not a model of light, fair tones but a dusky woman, several shades darker than that usually shown in mainstream media. The event was that of her second marriage, as her husband to be deftly picks up her daughter, who insists on joining them for the traditional pheras. The ad not only expressed that second marriage is alright, and is a growing norm, but it chose to not be dramatic in its portrayal, with its subtlety winning every accolade from our point of view.

XXII. Cadbury Bournvita - Tayyari Jeet Ki

Mothers in Indian advertising are forever thrust in the role of homemakers. Indeed, most ads centred around mothers will more often than not find them in the kitchen worrying over her skills as a nutrition and care provider for the family. Cadbury Bournvita ended this stereotype with its Tayyari Jeet Ki campaign, which showed how mothers are extremely instrumental in training their children towards their dreams without compromising on the caring bit. While one ad would show a young boy racing with his mother, the other showed a young girl being trained by her mother in kickboxing, thereby challenging the traditional roles defined for young girls too.

XXIII. Fastrack - Move on & Put the Blame on Me

The Fastrack advertisements have been extremely well received for delivering extremely progressive and urban messages which do not pretend to be naïve in any manner. While the Move On ad embraced homosexuality, showing two extremely well dressed women coming out of the same closet (quite literally) the ‘Put The Blame on Me’ ad showed a young girl escaping the room of a boy’s hostel, where she spent the night. The Move On ad is symbolically interesting in many ways, as it does not cater to lesbian stereotypes either. The women shown are dressed uber chic,  in a manner that is in no way indicative of their sexuality either. The latter ad in particular, celebrated a girl’s freedom of sexual choice through her disarming nature and suffice to say, our society needs to be guided towards these beliefs today more than ever.

XXIV. Asian Paints

The Asian Paints ad, in all its subtlety celebrates understanding between a married couple to be sans any drama unlike most Indian advertisements. The ad shows an army man, showing his fiancé around his house. While the rest of the house is monochrome in its décor and extremely well organised to the point of being boring, he ushers her into their to-be bedroom, which he has decorated so that it resembles her house, with colourful walls, and kitschy items, so she feels at home. The advertisement was extremely well-received for its nuanced show of emotions.

XXV. Nirma – Ambulance Ad

The Nirma ad has assimilated itself into pop culture with its catchy jingle, but it has also earner extreme ire by showing a woman as a symbol of purity akin to the whiteness that Nirma provides. The ad shows an ambulance stuck in the muck, while all men stared on, but four women, unmindful of the dirt, step in to push the ambulance out of it. The ad not only ably put the message of Nirma’s quality across but it put across the message that women are not just passive spectators, and can act when the situation demands them to.

XXVI. Amul - Har Ghar Amul Ghar

The inclusion of this Amul short film in this list is simply because of how easily it portrays an Indian middle class set up. One of the highlights of this film, other than the nostalgia and the love it creates for the brand, is how the parents of a young boy take turns to get him ready for school. While the mother forces the father out of bed one day when the alarm rings, the father sleepily declares to the mother that it is her turn the next time. In time, the child, as a creature of this habit, is able to get ready all by himself on that one day both his parents miss the alarm. Why it was refreshing? The ad was thoughtful enough not to renegade the mother to the kitchen and the father to the office, presenting a more well-balanced approach to the male-female/ husband-wife dynamic in India.

Words: Gouri Bhuyan, Meher Manda & Divija Mohan