By Jitender Dabas
One of the most celebrated campaign from last year has been #sharetheload by Ariel. A remarkable campaign that challenges us to re-think the way we look at the issues of gender equality. And then I came across another ad by shaadi.com asking men to share another load. Promoted with the hashtag #FastForHer it asks men to fast alongside their wives to show their love this Karva Chauth.
Both the campaigns in their own way address the relationship between men & women in our society. One did it by challenging the way we think the other simply rode it.
Karva Chauth is fast becoming the next opportunity for the marketers. It’s got everything – tradition, relationships, dressing up, celebrations, gifting and it comes in the festival month of October.
Everything seems right for brands to jump in. Except one. The very genesis of the festival or ritual. According to Wikipedia, Karva Chauth is a one-day festival celebrated by Hindu women in many countries in which married women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands. A ritual that is not only regressive and unequal but also irrational.
So what should brands do with Karva Chauth? How should brands navigate a festival like KarvaChauth.
Every festival is a market opportunity in India but brands need to make a choice. Brands must understand a lot of inequality in Indian society is camouflaged by tradition and emotions. By adding frills and mush to a dogmatic ritual and making it ‘fun’, you only make it bigger and bulkier
In a society fighting severe issues on gender inequality we need to over-correct and I believe brands can play a significant role by stating their POVs on such issues… Brands, especially targeting the modern woman are being built on their POVs not differentiators.
If brands start spending marketing dollars to promote Karva Chauth they will almost be legitimizing it the way Aditya Chopra did it through DDLJ. There are more small town and villages where women are not doing it because of choice but under pressure. And when the aspirational stereotype women is advertising is seen doing it, it makes it okay for millions of women in small towns to continue doing it. The mood/celebration and the appealing presentation of any festival has the power to often drown the voice of reason. Rationality and logical debate gets subdued under the loud sound of collective celebration. Every press ad or TV spot adds to that.
And if as a result of all this, a woman is under pressure to fast against her will or health because you have legitimised it by putting your brand monies behind it, then you are responsible.
It’s also dangerous as you not only cater to the fervor of the married women but you are also lending a hand in introducing this practice in the most appealing way to children who sit in front of it the TV watch the ad and co-relate it to what their mothers are doing.
We are teaching young kids in school to give up the exciting part of Diwali – the crackers … because it harms the environment. Can’t we ask the grown up to give up the ‘regressive’ and ‘irrational’ ritual of KarwaChauth
Let’s understand one thing – nothing is ‘harmless’ when it comes to inequality and gender bias – there is nothing called a harmless eve-teasing or harmless-stereotyping or a harmless Karva Chauth . They all add to shape how a society treats its women and brands must realise this.
The burden of progression will always lie on the shoulders of leader brands whether they are in media, cinema or consumer goods.
For the brands championing women’s equality being silent on KC is not just a missed opportunity but a sign of careful middle path which is disappointing. A strong POV on not just KC but other such festivals is certainly awaited.
#FastforHER disappoints me. I am waiting for #DontFastforME
Jitender Dabas is Chief Strategy Officer, McCann Worldgroup. The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of his organisation