Alia Bhatt vs. The Axe Effect
The Fair and Lovely and Axe Body Spray campaigns are two of the longest running advertising campaigns in India and by all accounts the products have done very well. One campaign preys on the search for fairer skin, and the other fuels sexism. Neither is subtle and the tone and tenor are unapologetically direct. In contrast it is heartening that brands and organisations like Vogue, Ariel, and Titan have launched campaigns with empowering story-lines directed at the decision makers for their products; women.
I. Campaigns with a difference
Alia Bhatt, dressed in a black mini-skirt, drives home from a late night party. Her car unexpectedly breaks down and she approaches five men in an SUV — they look like gundas. Unable to resolve the problem with her car, they agree to drop her home. She sits between two of them, the other three hover. The soundtrack suggests an inevitable mishap but the gundas do not misbehave. She reaches home unscathed and the viewer is within rights to respond with — come on, really? The ad ends on a somber note, remarking that the events shown are impossible to replicate in India.
A woman sits in an airport lounge when a former lover approaches her . They engage in small talk after which Akaash, her ex-boyfriend, states that they could have remained together had she given up working. The woman smiles and remarks that Akaash remains the way she left him.
A father observes the home of his daughter — he notices that the burden of responsibility falls on her despite the fact that both she and her husband work. Before he departs, he writes a letter to her apologizing on behalf of all fathers who never contributed to household chores, thereby negatively influencing their sons and daughters, The commercial ends with the provocative tagline, “Why should laundry be a mother’s job?”
These scenarios are taken from advertising campaigns by Vogue, Ariel, and Titan respectively. Each campaign has a powerful social message.Vogue highlights the issue of women’s safety, Ariel focuses on gender inequality, and Titan touches upon the perception of women in the workforce.
The first time my mother and I watched an ad from the #SharetheLoad campaign launched by Ariel, we both smiled. Admittedly, I had done laundry maybe once in my life but something about the ad clearly resonated with her and thousands of other Indian women. Today, it has more than 1.5 million views online and recognition from Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg who promoted it on her Facebook page urging parents to set an example for their children by creating more “equal homes”.
A three word hashtag was able to question the system of patriarchy that still proliferates many Indian households.
This is Indian advertising at its best.
II. The Beyoncé Controversy: $$$$
For many, Beyoncé represents the emancipation of the Black body. For others, she falls short.
Bell Hooks recently called out Beyoncé for being a terrorist and she isn’t alone in her critique of the pop star. Dianca London writes that “Beyoncé’s brand of feminism and activism” is “strategic consumerist dramatism rather than empowerment”. This line of thinking, i.e., Beyoncé’s exploitation of feminism for capitalistic gain, can be applied to the recent upsurge of of ads that advocate social change in India.
One can argue that Vogue and Ariels marketing strategies hinge solely on the pursuit of profit. This might even be true. The primary objective behind marketing is to boost awareness for a brand or product to generate more sales. And if brands can achieve this while simultaneously tackling social problems, then is questioning their motivation even worthwhile?
It’s hard to ascertain just how much companies or brands believe in the values that their campaigns champion. On second thought, comparing Beyoncé’s critique to these commercials is actually an unfair parallel. Those who are skeptical of Beyoncé most often have a problem with the image of Beyoncé herself, and the message that she puts out to her audience. Having closely watched these ad campaigns, I do not see anything wrong with the message that they propagate or the way in which they’ve chosen to get the message across to viewers. In fact, they are incredibly effective and well produced.
III. Why watching the Axe Effect hurts my eyes
According to the Axe effect, you are more likely to attract a throng of promiscuous women if you chose to use the Axe body spray. Every time this commercial plays on T.V., my hand reaches for the mute button. Whether unintentional or intentional, Axe conveys the message that being a ‘man’ constitutes being a womanizer.
Similarly, Fair and Handsome and it’s many variants also feed on the insecurities of thousands of Indian men and women. By equating fair skin with success, these ads reinforce the beauty standard that gorapan is the norm. Darker-skinned individuals are made to feel that their skin tone puts them at a disadvantage with respect to beauty, family life, and success. In a country that’s already obsessed with fairness, these commercials only takes us one step back.
Indian T.V. commercials are dichotomous. On the one hand, we have empowerment and the critique of age-old societal norms. On the other, we have sexism and questionable definitions of both masculinity and femininity. Subjecting adolescents to this kind of mixed messaging is counter-productive to psychological and youth development.
Given the influence of visual media, brands should practice responsible advertising. On a side-note, two Fair and Lovely commercials were banned from Indian television in 2014. There’s still hope left.
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