How advertisements in India are defying gender cliche

Feb 27, 2017: The most important part of advertisements is the story line and it gives a spur on the social media when the lessons from the story line are timeless. Needless to say, every time a free-spirited ad is released, it not only sparks conversations over the internet but also leaves a viral trail of debates. Just in the same way, some of the Indian advertisements did when they strove to change the mindset of people with regard to gender difference. We often tend to slur women not realizing the essence of being a woman, it takes strength and an indomitable spirit to be a woman. This article will talk about how advertisements in India are leading by example and discarding gender difference.

Let's recall some of the advertisements that did away with gender difference.

Nike's recent 'Da Da Ding' ad starring Deepika Padukone as one among other female athletes is a powerful ad which got the people talking about giving importance to female athletes as well. It showcased females of a real athletic figure which is not animated and has got nothing to do with 'legs and butts'.

(A still from Nike's Da Da Ding advertisement)

The ad portrayed women as fierce and passionate about sports. Once upon a time, Nike's product catered almost exclusively to marathon runners and then, a fitness craze emerged –and the folks in Nike's marketing department knew where to mark their next move, an applause for Nike for initiating a spellbinding effort.

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Whisper, Touch the pickle ad

(A still from Whisper Touch the pickle advertisement)

Whisper, Touch the pickle ad is another exemplary of breaking taboos surrounding women's menstrual cycle. The whisper #Touchthepickle campaign makes an attempt to purge the baseless superstitions owing to Dos and Dont's in menses. The ad showcases a young girl who dares to touch the pickle while she is on her periods. It conveys a sensible meaning to its viewers to break away these taboos. The ad was lauded internationally and awarded 'Glass Lion Grand Prix' award at Cannes International Festival of Creativity.

Many advertisements over the years have sold the cosmetic product but fewer have tried to change the societal conception of beauty. Even fewer have tried to do both, Joy Cosmetic is the brand that did it in India.

(A still from Joy beauty advertisement)
The ad begins with showcasing a well renowned oversized comedian, Bharti Singh asking the viewers "What did you expect, 36-24-36?", and shuts down body shamers who presumed it to be an ideal body size. The ad conveys effortlessly that an Ideal beauty has nothing to do with body and shape.The advertisement has a sensitive message and is meaningful to its consumers.

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While there is a lot of chaos regarding section 377 in India, Ebay India took an audacious stance through its ad titled "Things don't judge".

(A still from Ebay India advertisement)

The advertisement beholds a gripping idea towards embracing an inclusive society where there are no existent gender connotations. Ebay sells the idea of not judging people based on what they do and what gender does one have. In the end of the advertisement, it conveys a riveting message through a phrase 'jio or jine do' (live and let live).

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And this brings to a last but not the least,

The most influential advertisement by Tanishq which successfully thwarted every sexist stereotype of women at work.

(A still from Tanishq's advertisement)

The ad sets a platform for the working women to feel confident about themselves. The ad smashes the existing prejudices regarding women at workplace, and to every prejudice displayed in the ad, a voice retorts by saying 'that's the last thing on my mind'. The ad serves as a strong wake-up call for all the workplace across the country.

The secret behind these viral ad campaigns is the boundless effort to change the attitude and beliefs of society towards an existent gender cliche which roots in our society. The ads were successful in striking a chord with the audience. These were some of the ads who did exceptionally good in creating a favorable attitude towards the issue and there are still many more of this kind – the list goes on.

-prepared by Naina Mishra of NewsGram. Twitter-@Nainamishr94