Advertising as harbingers of social change- a small selection of my favourite ads

Posted by

Dr. Preeti Chauhan

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April 13, 2015

In my last post I talked about some advertisements that just don’t make sense and make us laugh if we took them literally.Advertising is all about creating a brand image or create the need for a product in the market .Why can’t tht producct be a socil message or a scial change ?Some advertisements have shown that it is possible to create an impact without the camera lingering on the bodies of half naked men or women .

Here is a small list of some of my favourite Indian advertisements :

1.The undivided people -Our country was divided in 1947 but people were not .The LOC cannot divide their common heritage and culture whether on this side of the border or that side .People want to come together despite the barriers separating them ,hearts know no boundaries .As depicted in this ad here-

2.Religious Intolerance -Amidst the divisive politics going on in the country based on religion, some ads underline the message of unity in diversity of the Indian diaspora .The Havell’s fan ad which says that “Hawa Badlegi (Times will change )” where when a baby is born the religion is written down as “HIMU”….

3.Dusky is in-Tanishq takes the lesser trodden path and shows and ad where a woman ,who is also a mother is not only shown remarrying but also she is shown to be a confident and dusky Iwoman unlike hundreds of other ads which show that only the fair complexioned girls can grab good looking guys and glory and that being fair is the only virtue that matters .

4. The complete man – Here is an ad which does not show man acting all macho and muscular rather the hero is shown embracing his sensitive side where the husband asks his wife (who is torn between her home and work as her baby clings to her wailing when she is about to leave) to leave for work while he himself stays at home to take care of their baby.

6.Working after marriage – Bharat matrimony shows an ad where concerned parents of the boy ,while waiting for the daughter-in-law to join them for dinner ask the son if his salary is not enough to sustain the household .The ad goes on to show that woman also work for pleasure and identity and not just to help support the family income .

7.Corruption – The TATA tea’s “Jago Re, Jago Re ” ad campaign depicts the rampant corruption in the governement offices and the need to change this mindset .It is done in a an entertaining manner and set to some catchy music .The message is sent across without sounding too preachy.

8.Tum Chalo to Hindustan Chale( If you take a step forward, India will move forward too ) This ad while sending across a very simple message -that one step foward in the right direction however tiny can make all the difference and build a momentum .A small child is shown trying to move a fallen tree out of the way even as policemen, politicians and passers by move on ignoring that tree .But whe they see the little child take an initiative , they are all mobilzed and join hands to remove the huge obstacle .

The list can go on an on and I hope for our sake that Admen keep on coming up with more such commercials that can actually help in creating new vantage points in the Indian social context and break the age old sterotypes besides creating revenue .

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You too can crash the Pepsi IPL with your own created ad! Make your own Pepsi ad & if it’s chosen, it could play on TV during Pepsi IPL! And hey, it doesn’t end here… Even if you’re chosen as a finalist, you stand a chance of winning a prize amount of Rs.1 lakh!
So what are you waiting for guys?