I hate cricket
but my Dad loves it. When I was young, whenever he watched cricket, I used to watch the ads. Due to that forcible viewing, I did not appreciate cricket but I did appreciate the ads. They were my source of entertainment, interspersed with the
boring matches. My interest in advertisements persists to this day.
Any new ad, I have to see it and make a judgement about it.
In the recent
years, there are a lot of women-centric ads. I am both surprised and happy
about it. The first ad that I saw in this category, was the Whirlpool ad, in which
the husband comes home and greets his wife with a glass of cold coffee. There are at least
2 or 3 ads, where the lady requests her husband to make coffee (Bru)/tea for
her.
A jockey ad, adds a twist to a relationship, by showing a woman proposing to a man. In a recent coca-cola ad, the in-laws come to visit their daughter-in-law and ask her not to be too formal, but to share a drink with them. In a jeweller’s ad the in-laws encourage their daughter-in-law to keep her maiden name. In an Amazon ad, Mrs. Varma buys a smart phone for Mr. Varma, for Diwali.
Don’t get me started on the airtel ad, in which the guy’s boss is his wife. My only complaint is that not only she has to be the perfect working woman but also the perfect homemaker, who slogs in the kitchen to make a wonderful dinner after a working day. Why didn't they show her giving orders to a cook? (In the Indian scenario, where domestic help is affordable)
A jockey ad, adds a twist to a relationship, by showing a woman proposing to a man. In a recent coca-cola ad, the in-laws come to visit their daughter-in-law and ask her not to be too formal, but to share a drink with them. In a jeweller’s ad the in-laws encourage their daughter-in-law to keep her maiden name. In an Amazon ad, Mrs. Varma buys a smart phone for Mr. Varma, for Diwali.
Don’t get me started on the airtel ad, in which the guy’s boss is his wife. My only complaint is that not only she has to be the perfect working woman but also the perfect homemaker, who slogs in the kitchen to make a wonderful dinner after a working day. Why didn't they show her giving orders to a cook? (In the Indian scenario, where domestic help is affordable)
The point that
I want to make is that most of the brands have realized that women are major
consumers too and they have the moolah to buy. They want to win over women. The women-centric ads, are showing women to be
independent decision makers and pushing certain values, such as more domestic
help from the husbands, being financially independent, assertive and having open minded in-laws.
I think of these ads as small snippets of progress, which can change the mindset
of a nation, slowly but steadily. But we are not where we want to be
yet. I hope to see the day, where daddies are in the diaper ads, and male
models stand beside the latest car models in the auto expo.
The Whirlpool Ad, in which the husband makes cold coffee for wife.
The Bru Ad in which the husband makes coffee for wife, but that involves a bit of manipulation from the wife's side.
The Jockey Ad, in which the woman proposes to the man
Formality hatao, Coca-Cola Pilao
The Airtel ad in which the wife is the boss
Wife is boss in the office. She still has to cook at home. Why can't she book a table at grand hotel and wait for husband to join?
ReplyDeleteYes that's what my point was too. The ad should appeal to both men and women. They covered the damage of the wife being the boss, by making her cook at home for her husband.
DeleteWhat is wrong in wife cooking for her husband or for that matter Husband cooking for his wife? Here, time is the only criterion, whoever has the free time to cook, let them cook dinner. Here, sex rather gender,position doesn't matter at all. whether she is the boss or he is the boss, who Cares? What matters is, they are life partners. But your assertion that the wife should have been shown as giving orders, smacks feudal mentality. which most of the Indians have. Your assertion that because domestic helps are affordable, the couple should have one, doesn't show you as a modern woman, rather as one who would not mind exploiting others, if you can afford to exploit them. In a way, you are reaffirming the principle on which, men enslaved women.
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