Recent Indian Ads on TV that are Breaking Stereotypes

By Ruchi Sharma

Is all household work only a woman’s job? Do women always need to look PERFECT? The answer to both the questions is- NO! Over the years numerous advertisements on TV have left a mark on us. Be it Nirma soap’s evergreen tune that all 90s kids relate too or Kitkat’s sharing chocolate mantra. Ads actually have a unique ability of conveying a message in less than 30 seconds. 

Numerous Indian Ads have broken stereotypes time and again. Ariel’s ‘Share the Load’ campaign is something we all remember! Nowadays these few ads on Indian TV are once again breaking the gender stereotypes and shattering the so-called set standards of the society. Let’s take a look at two of them!

VIM Dishwashing Bar Ad

Pic Source: Afaqs

VIM has time and again tried to highlight that women should be seen beyond household chores like washing utensils. One of their ads was a niece asking her aunt how to wash utensils and once she explained that then aunt started teaching her self defence. The line- ‘tujhe kya laga maasi ko sirf bartan dhona aata hai’, left a deep impact.

Once again their new ad is about getting freedom from the mindset that only mothers are responsible for washing utensils. It starts off with a boy washing utensils smiling while the father is confused and asks the grandma if he is missing anything and whether it’s mother’s day today or the boy’s mom’s (his wife's) birthday. But grandma smiles and replies that her grandson is celebrating independence day from the mindset that washing utensils is only a mom’s responsibility. She encourages her son to celebrate the independence too and later the boy and father are seen washing utensils together. 

The importance of sharing the unpaid work within the family needs to be recognised and this campaign by VIM developed by MullenLowe Lintas Mumbai is surely appreciated! You can watch this video here.

Colgate’s Smile Ad

Pic Source: MadOverMarketing

A brand always associated with pristine white and perfect teeth is Colagte. Whenever you envision any toothpaste brand’s advertisement, you imagine pearly whites and picture perfect teeth. But Colgate’s recent ad campaign- ‘smile out loud’ is breaking this stereotype. In the ad you will see a pretty model in red, Dolly, coming close to the screen while hiding her smile and then when she removes her hand you will notice her beautiful smile but with imperfect teeth that are pearl white. Her smile is so infectious that for a moment or two you will hardly notice anything amiss. It highlights the importance of accepting how you are and being proud of it. There is nothing like ‘Perfection’ and as long as you are happy you shouldn’t be bothered by what others say. Their full ad includes all aspects of body positivity. Though it’s not important to have pearly white teeth too as long as you maintain your oral hygiene. You can watch the ad here.

These ads on TV are breaking stereotypes in 2023. Time and again many brands have taken this initiative and we hope many more brands come forth. Have you come across any ad that left an impact on you? Do share with us in the comments section below.