Now in its ninth year, P&G’s laundry brand Ariel’s ad asks: “How Strong is your HomeTeam?” by urging men to #ShareTheLoad.
Said Mukta Maheshwari, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India, and Vice President – Fabric Care, P&G Indian subcontinent: “In response to the evolving dynamics within households, driven by the increasing representation of women in the formal sector, we recognize the need to adapt our approach to laundry care. With higher incomes, increased mobility, and growing aspirations, households are experiencing changes in laundry patterns, time constraints, and a heightened demand for convenience. At Ariel, we are committed to creating an ecosystem at home that empowers women by easing their domestic responsibilities. Our mission goes beyond providing superior cleaning products; we aim to foster genuine partnership and equality within households. By understanding the evolving needs of consumers, we strive to rewrite the narrative of gender roles and empower both men and women to share responsibilities equitably. This year. We are attempting to spotlight the never-ending to do lists, a sign of the mental load, that women continue to disproportionately bear. Together, through initiatives like #ShareTheLoad, our aspiration is to cultivate households where it’s equally common for men and women to not only share the physical chores like laundry but also share the mental load of household responsibilities.”
Added Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India: “#ShareTheLoad is not just an advertising campaign; it’s a silent revolution that’s changing the way Indian society perceives household chores between couples. Each year we uncover a hidden truth. Our deep listening process, in collaboration with the team at P&G Ariel, helps us sense the mood of the nation, the home, and the individual. This year we are hearing more and more women say they are giving up on growth opportunities because of the mental and emotional load of domestic responsibilities. This holds many women back and stops them from achieving their full potential. But things are changing. There are so many moments in the film that show us this reality and how the shift is happening. In the end, the film captures the realization of the husband and the effort he puts in to ensure his wife doesn’t have to take a step back at work. A giant step for equality at home.”
Ariel laundry detergent has launched a new campaign for the New Year. It has tried to capture the sentiment of women in its new #CelebrateEqual film. Over the past 7 years, Ariel India has continued to spark conversations around unequal division of household chores and urging more men to share the load.
Ariel has been championing the cause of equality and inclusion since 2015. It has been raising pertinent questions on household equality through its movement #ShareTheLoad and supporting inclusion through its campaign #MakeItPossible. #CelebrateEqual is another effort in this direction furthering the cause of gender equality in households.
Said Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India, and Vice President, Fabric Care, P&G India: “At Ariel, we aspire to build a better world for all of us, a world where everyone sees equal. Over the years, Ariel has brought to light through our campaigns, unconscious bias and conditioning which comes in the way of us achieving an equal world. Even now 61%* of women believe that they do not get to fully enjoy the celebrations because of the unequal burden of household chores. This often goes unnoticed and through #CelebrateEqual we want to help trigger conversations to drive positive change”
Laundry brand Ariel India has brought out a series of ads in matrimonial classifieds in a newspaper, encouraging prospective grooms to declare ‘I #ShareTheLoad’ in their matrimonial profiles.
Notes a communique: “It (Ariel India) has been advocating gender equality at home for seven years now, through its award-winning movement #ShareTheLoad. This year, Ariel’s #SeeEqual film that asks this relevant question – “If men can share the load equally with other men, why not with their wives?” has struck a chord with viewers having already garnered 100+ million views since it launched in February this year… With this initiative, Ariel is also reflecting the journey men have taken overall. The profiles of prospective grooms proudly adding ‘I #SharetheLoad’ is a reflection of change and openness demonstrated by Indian men towards their willingness to change and #SeeEqual.”
Ariel India and Disney+ Hotstar have curate a list of films and shows that ‘SeeEqual’.
Speaking about the collaboration, Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India & Vice President, Fabric Care, P&G India said: “Over the last seven years, Ariel #ShareTheLoad has sparked conversations to address the inequality in the division of household chores. This year, with the message to #SeeEqual, we want to bring to light the unconscious biases, stemming from decades of conditioning, that come in the way of us all sharing the load equally. To accelerate change, it is important we reinforce positive imagery that promotes gender equality, and shatters stereotypes. We are happy to partner with Disney+ Hotstar to put out a curated list of films and shows that portray strong women, progressive circumstances, and equal relationships. Do check out the See Equal and #ShareTheLoad collection!”
Added Dr Nandita Shah, Co-Director Akshara Centre: “We are happy to join #SeeEqual as it resonates with what Akshara Centre has been working towards for more than two decades. It is indeed challenging to build conversations on gender equality in an atmosphere where sexism and objectification is normalized and reinforced rampantly in popular media. In this partnership with Ariel and Disney+ Hotstar, we would like to substantiate few movies and series that have begun showing positive portrayal of women. We invite the audience to join us in changing the negative narrative and making the switch to positive depictions. This will enable us to take stronger steps towards gender equality.”
Ariel detergent washing powder has launched a new campaign to continue conversations around unequal division of domestic chores. The #SeeEqual film kicks off to inaugurate the 5th edition of ShareTheLoad. Ariel urges men to be equal partners playing Equal roles.
Said Sharat Verma, Chief Marketing Officer, P&G India, and Vice President, Fabric Care, P&G India: “With Ariel #ShareTheLoad, we strive to trigger meaningful conversations that will help drive positive change. With #See Equal, we want to address years of unconscious bias and conditioning, which may be coming in the way of us all sharing the load. A recent World Economic Forum report claims that at the current pace of change, gender parity is still 135 years away! That is far too long for us to wait for something that comes naturally for men when they interact with each other. Interestingly, over 73% married men agreed that they did their share of household chores when they lived with other men. However, even now in urban India, less that 25 percent of households claim that men share the load equally. This year’s communication is based on this simple insight – when men can ShareTheLoad equally with other men, then why not with their wives? Because we know when we #SeeEqual, we #ShareTheLoad”
Added Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO: “We’ve taken a slightly different track in the latest film for Ariel #ShareTheLoad. There is a definite shift in the tonality. This time, it’s the woman who speaks for herself. It is the woman speaking her mind and sharing her point of view. The film is fully reflective of the reality of today’s times, where the woman refuses to accept inequality in her marriage. Research confirmed this. 88% women believe it is time to talk to men about doing their share of the household work equally. There is a sense of restlessness, an impatience in the women today at the pace of change. So, this film is also a means to encourage conversations so as to truly move us towards an equal tomorrow.”
Said Nandita Shah, Co- Director, Akshara Centre: “Gender inequality at home is underrated and often overlooked with women bearing the brunt of this inequality. When women believe that they are equal to men and start taking a position for it like in the Ariel #SeeEqual film, change happens. This change in behavior goes a long way in making the home more equal. If men understand how to do household chores, there should be nothing stopping them from sharing this equally and responsibly. We are happy to collaborate with Ariel to drive the conversation around gender equality in the division of household chores, and urge men to #See Equal and #ShareTheLoad.”
Brand Engagement is always relevant and more so during the lockdown. Brands are using different tricks for engaging with consumers. Some of them are relevant and impactful, few original and innovative. I believe if there is nothing to say, being silliest is a better option.
The car manufacturer shares tips on how to take care of the parked car. Banks deliver newspaper in your inbox. Antiseptic cream makes sanitisers. Porn site gives free access to premium content so that you stay at home! Soaps shouting about washing the virus and Apps are updating for smoother operations.
Brand engagement during lockdown is part of the strategic initiative in preparedness for the post-lockdown market. Naturally, every brand wants to be on the top of the consideration-set whenever markets open. So, they need to keep the brand connect alive through brand engagement. It is known that the brands engaging the consumers now are most likely to emerge as the front runner post-coved scene.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT
It was interesting to see Durex playing mindgames in its territory. The brand also suggested an innovative way to help out the audience like using it to cover the finger while pressing buttons in the lift.
On the other level, DOVE went ahead to celebrate the Beauty called Courage. It remains credible as the brand is operating within its pre-Covid coordinates defined by inner beauty.
Consider, ‘TAKE THE LOAD’ by Ariel, and it falls in place. The brand is continuously thinking of engaging consumer in different ways and situations. It is an attractive proposition, but I have a problem with it. The brand still addresses housework as a woman’s load. I will discuss this some other day.
Keeping the conversation going during such a crisis is a sensitive area. Some brands have learnt their lessons the hard way. The strategy and the message must remain incomplete internal and external sync. The brand can not have different visible standards or expectations across geographies, product lines and services, internal or external.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT – A TWO WAY STREET.
The brands must realise that ‘The consumer will treat you exactly the way you treat them during this period of crisis’. Remember, we live in an era of information democracy, and it is driving everyone crazy. Once the message is released in the public domain, you no longer are in control. If you are in the arena to commercially exploit the situation, your life will become miserable, sooner than later. At the same time, it is a beautiful space for brands with real purpose and empathy in engaging the audience.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT – PLAY WITH RELEVANCE.
During the crisis, sometimes it is best to remain silent. The well-informed consumer is aware of the situation. Brands are looking towards contactless delivery, but it still is no time for impact-less irrelevant engagement.
The consumer’s transactional deal is restricted to the brand delivering the best at a reasonable price. Or the brands are playfully engaging the consumer while sending a positive, relevant message of importance. Just like the various brands supported Social Distancing by playing around with their logo’s.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT – BE SIMPLE.
One of the compelling ways beyond talk play and intent is to act the intention. Let sharing of the news surrounding the Brand Act be amplification, instead of trying to send out a video in the social space. However, when brands move beyond transactional arena to show their soft touch treating consumers as part of the extended family, the equation shifts from being purely a stakeholder to an active partner. It required empathy, care, understanding and being sensitive to the ecosystem. The brand needs to understand the covert -overt needs and continuously re-defined expectations. It is a tough and risky territory to walk. The brands that see it as only a commercial leveraging opportunity, they fail to understand the double-edged dimensions and in effect do more wrong than the right to their image.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT – ACCEPTANCE COMES WITH RELEVANCE.
Such situations like coronavirus and the lockdown demands that the brands demonstrate care and empathy. However, there is an un-stated boundary between compassion and pity. The brand operating within the bandwidth of experience and tonality have higher chances to succeed.
Mumbai police use of citizen vigilance for Stay Home campaign makes sense. People relate to it, knowing that ultimately police can do that much only. They emerge as a partner- as a peer.
Nearer home, Surf team remains true to the thought Daag Aache Hai. And extends it with Daag Bhai Ghar par Rahenge. The brand extends engagement by sharing fun activities for home on Instagram.
Now, this was brilliant as it came well in the early phase when people were still thinking about how to manage work. It works for Sony It works as the scope remains restricted to helping the daily wage earners in the film and television industry. But what is the Kalyan Jewellers link?
When EMIRATES tells you to stay home and assures with positivity that we will fly soon, you like the approach and the tonality. They are, in fact, not making any new point.
https://youtu.be/IRoAQ3dmOUw
On the other side, when UBER uses a similar tone to thank you for not using them, it seems forced. It is the result of earlier experience and perception of the brand ethos, culture and expectations.
Vodafone used both their famous hugely loved mascots, the ZOOZOO and the PUG to deliver the message. The Pug communication still has something going for it, but the ZooZoo fails to impress.
ASIAN PAINTS keeps the tone of voice consistent in ‘Jab Ghar Mai Saab Ho Toh Ghar khilkhilata hai’, #stayhonestaysafe. It remains within known brand coordinates using a picture of everyday life. Similarly, TATA SKY talks about ‘Ghar Baite Kuch Seekhe’. It is an example of excellent connect with its known educative and activity-based channels.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT – CAN ALWAYS MOTIVATE.
And when there is nothing -nothing to say and the brand still wants to keep the conversation going. They fall back on positivity to keep people motivated, usually with a dose of singing and celebrities.
When you overstretch and try being arty like HUL. It snaps because of a hyper stretch. It fails to evoke similar emotions.
However, when Mahindra says,- Some wheels will keep moving, you relate to it. And the treatment makes you feel so much better.
BRAND ENGAGEMENT- AUDIENCE AWAIT ACTION.
Though travel is a bad word during the lockdown, I was looking forward to engaging relevant and sharply focussed communication from Samsonite. It had reoriented its coordinates when they made the earlier communications including the one during Kerala floods. It will be a waste of a marketing opportunity if Samsonite does not subtly engage the audience in this crisis.
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BRAND ENGAGEMENT- LIGHTER MOMENTS.
On the side, the crisis also made room for some absurd but thoroughly enjoyable videos. The one that is my favourites features Shekhar Gupta and @HoeZaay. He tries explaining the concept of tomorrow in a Swami Nityanand style. Shekhar Gupta may not need new audiences – but this viral must have worked for him.
On the occasion of International ASMR Day (April 9), Ariel India is giving men yet another reason to #ShareTheLoad of domestic tasks, and giving women a way to relax and sleep better.
Taking the conversation further and in context of the current times, Ariel collaborated with American ASMR youtuber and artist GIBI ASMR to curate a #ShareTheLoad ASMR. This ASMR video is a depiction of a husband doing the laundry, the sound of which is calming for the women.
Said Sharat Verma, CMO, P&G India and Head, Fabric Care Indian Subcontinent: “Ariel’s ShareTheLoad movement, which started five years back, has been sparking conversations to promote gender equality in the household by propagating the equal distribution of household chores. The message is more relevant now than ever …when the home is also an office, school and playground. Research tells us that households where partners share the load, make happier homes. It’s important that women get equal rest and sleep. Gibi’s ASMR video aims to help more and more women unwind using relaxing sounds and sights while inspiring more men to #ShareTheLoad.”
In the spirit of keeping the conversation going ahead and furthering the cause of equality within households, Ariel has launched the fourth ‘chapter’ of ShareTheLoad.
The new film, launched across social media and digital platforms, seeks to highlight the impact of unequal division of chores on the wife’s well-being, and leverage this with men to drive an urgency to act. Ariel aims to make laundry the face of this movement against inequality within households by urging men to take the first step to #ShareTheLaundry and eventually, #ShareTheLoad for equal sleep.
Commenting on the Movement, Sharat Verma, CMO, P&G India and Head, Fabric Care Indian Subcontinent, said: “This year, ‘#ShareTheLoad for equal sleep’ seeks to give us one more compelling reason to start sharing the load. Uneven division of household chores is getting in the way of women getting adequate sleep and rest, and hence the conversation this year is about bringing this to light to enable conversation. 71% of Indian women are sleeping less than their husbands due to these household chores, as they end up waking up early and/or staying up late in order to get everything done. The film is designed to be a mirror into the daily lives of many women, in order to make this unaccounted time count. And with this, Ariel wants to move us all from intent to action by urging them to #ShareTheLaundry and take the first step towards #ShareTheLoad.”
Added Josy Paul, Chairman and CCO – BBDO India: “How can Ariel as a leading brand truly create change? That was what we wanted to do with this year’s campaign for #ShareTheLoad. And hence, by steering the conversation around the impact on the women’s wellbeing when their partners don’t partake in domestic chores, we want to get men to show solidarity via action. A significant part of the film rests in the early hours or late nights, which is the time that usually goes unaccounted. It is the theatre of the after-hours. It is about making those hours count!”
Ariel has launched a campaign around the upcoming World Cup re-enforcing the faith in Team India that we can repeat the 2011 victory.
Notes a communique: “Ariel’s #2011Dobara takes viewers down memory lane when India won the World cup in 2011. The ad film touches the sentiment that we as Indians are superstitious by nature and consider things to be lucky for the match. Ariel’s new campaign hopes to repeat the magic of 2011 win and at the centre of all this is the lucky jersey that people hold so close to them.”
There are many cases of brands running campaigns with social cause that they don’t really imbibe or believe it. Many of them are under done to tick the CSR box. Then there are brands that find their mojo and run with the cause as a philosophy, a belief.  There is commitment and willingness to at least an attempt going long distance with it.  Tata Tea ‘Jaago Re’ and Ariel ‘#ShareTheLoad’ are two such examples.
I love Brand Ariel’s decision on continuing with its ‘Share The Load’ initiative.  It is a small but definitive positive contribution to remove the stains of Gender Inequality!
Domestic chores and the resultant workload is an accepted norm for women in many countries. The foundation of this stereotyping is laid from childhood and is reinforced at every stage of growing up. Â From the games girls are expected to play or not play, the colour they must prefer, the jobs that they should take up and the societal expectation from the bride. The behaviour of their parents, their roles and sharing of responsibilities reinforces it.
Unfortunately women are an equal party to the crime and have been helping propagate the cause. At every stage, women are told they have a specific role. The acceptable definition of a good wife has all the ingredients of ‘Taking the load’.  It does not matter if she works, how much she works or who has the time in the home.
Change takes time. You have to keep attacking it.
The 2015 Ariel film ‘Husband’ first raised the question. It had just one possible answer that most families refuse to acknowledge. The DAD film placed the issue in spotlight, and the next film ‘SON’ continues to take it further.
The brand continues to explore the arena and direct our attention to possibilities. Maybe it made a difference in homes of millions of males who pledged to ‘Share The Load’.  The question will remain valid for many more years to come. Nudging the audience is a valid approach.
WHY ‘SHARE THE LOAD’.
One can argue if the approach ‘Share The Load’ is bold enough. One can question if this is the definition of progressive thinking. Why not say ‘Do Your Part’ instead of ‘Share The Load’. The concept still pins the household chore as a women’s area of work. Is it not a case of built-in inequality?
THERE IS CHANGE.
It’s no denying that centuries of conditioning has made even the most progressive thinking and educated women accept laundry as their responsibility. Men believe it is not something they are expected to do.
There is a change in attitude. My discussion with many young ladies suggest that in spite of them expecting their mother to do the laundry, the new generation girls see their future husband contributing in household chores. And they are willing to bridge the gap of inequality by sharing the husband’s workload and responsibilities.  The next film may address the daughter of the house to make the point.
The Ariel film has surely been contributing in this mind change. It reinforces the belief that its ‘Acts not Ads’ that can nudge the society towards a positive change.
Ariel has launched the third season of its #ShareTheLoad campaign. In this newly-released edition, Ariel asks: are we teaching our sons what we are teaching our daughters? Urging mothers to be the changemakers of the society and hence relook at the way they raise their sons. The film has been conceptualised by BBDO.
Commenting on the Movement, Sonali Dhawan, Marketing Director, P&G India, and Fabric Care said: “This year, we reignite conversations to go deeper into the cause of this disparity. In the context of right upbringing, we urge this generation of mothers to be the changemakers for the future, and raise yet another pertinent question – Are we teaching our sons what we have been teaching our daughters? If sharing the load is taught at an impressionable age, it becomes a part of their value system. As a mother of a boy and a girl, I truly believe this is possible. I also believe that with Ariel it is possible to simplify the lives of consumers and a happier household is one where both men and women share the load. Ariel encourages men to do their bit and take up tasks like laundry because anyone can get impeccable cleaning with Ariel, no matter who does the laundry.â€
Added Josy Paul, Creative Director, BBDO: “Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad has grown into an active movement for gender equality at home. It has generated greater emotional equity for the brand and has triggered a positive change in society. It is one of India’s most recognized and awarded advertising ideas.  WARC ranked it the world’s most effective campaign for 2017 and 2018. We are excited to launch the next phase of the movement. The new campaign is based on an uncomfortable truth that’s so true for today. In the film, the mother’s realization of an unspoken social conditioning and her determined resolution is thoughtful, sensitive and a big leap for society. Her simple action gives men one more reason to share the load at home.â€
Laundry brand Ariel India has brought out a series of ads in matrimonial classifieds in a newspaper, encouraging prospective grooms to declare ‘I #ShareTheLoad’ in their matrimonial profiles.
Brand Engagement is always relevant and more so during the lockdown. Brands are using different tricks for engaging with consumers. Some of them are relevant and impactful, few original and innovative. I believe if there is nothing to say, being silliest is a better option.
There are many cases of brands running campaigns with social cause that they don’t really imbibe or believe it. Many of them are under done to tick the CSR box. Then there are brands that find their mojo and run with the cause as a philosophy, a belief.  There is commitment and willingness to at least an attempt going long distance with it.  Tata Tea ‘Jaago Re’ and Ariel ‘#ShareTheLoad’ are two such examples.