Advertisements have always been a sensitive issue in India, eliciting a range of emotions from joy and nostalgia to annoyance and outrage. As someone who has grown up in India and witnessed the evolution of advertising culture, I have mixed feelings about the impact of ads on our society and economy.
On the one hand, advertisements have played a crucial role in shaping our consumer habits, tastes, and aspirations. They have also introduced us to new products and services, educated us on their features and benefits, and inspired us to try them out. They have also helped us connect with brands and companies that share our values and interests, and build a sense of identity and belonging.
On the other hand, advertisements have also been criticised for their manipulative and deceptive tactics, their reinforcement of harmful stereotypes and prejudices, and their exploitation of vulnerable groups such as children, women, and the poor. They have contributed to the commodification and homogenisation of culture, reducing art, music, literature, and other forms of creative expression to mere tools of marketing.
Smiling Bipasha Basu sprawls out on the sofa looking away from the camera. She was wearing underwear. Topless and wearing only shorts, a large Dino Morea glides over her and tries to pull off her underwear with his teeth. It is difficult to ignore the sexual overtones in the image. The year is 1998.
The wind of change brought by democracy blew across the country in 1991, when the Swiss underwear brand Cadillac launched a bombshell advertisement in the country. The ad was criticised by some women’s groups and was later removed. Cadillac was also not seen as popular by India’s rising middle class, and the company’s products disappeared from the country. But this daring ad stands in our memory as an example of raw male sleep packaging as a promotion.
Fast forward to 2021.
This is the new India, they tell us. The rules have changed. Social media sets the agenda. As demonstrated by local and international household name Dabur India as it sought to push the boundaries of creativity and engagement in its Fem Creme Bleach campaign. Set against the backdrop of Karwa Chauth, the ad shows two women celebrating the Hindu festival of marriage, spritzing each other with bleach and staring at each other over a sieve.
The social media frenzy began. Many praised the company for its “progressive” advertising, but many were angered by Dabur’s support of gay relationships, calling it an insult to “Hinduism and Hindu festivals”. Even a minister has been charged in Madhya Pradesh. Dabur, who was punished, went out and apologised. As the flagship of the “Made in India” brand, the company said it “strives for diversity, inclusion and equality”, adding that its aim is “not to offend religion or other religious, cultural and social practices”.
But Dabur isn’t the only company that’s been experiencing downtime recently. Nor is it the first company to remove ads that apologise and fuel hurt and anger. An ad by tire manufacturer Ceat recently sparked controversy after a BJP lawmaker said it was “creating an attack on Hindus”. In the ad, Bollywood star Aamir Khan instructs a group of people to put out fires in their homes instead of the streets. Khan has even been accused of being “anti-Hindu” by some sections of the media.
Clothing brand FabIndia found the pressure too much to handle and had to pull back the important shoot and wanted to celebrate India’s diversity. What bothered the law is the use of the Urdu word Jashn-e-Riwaaz to describe the company’s festive products. The brand is accused of “falsifying” and “alienating” India’s festival of lights, Diwali. Facing backlash on the internet, FabIndia withdrew the ad, saying it wasn’t a Diwali drama.
Business experts view media trolling as a target and agenda-based attack, as debate rages again in India about what many see as “underdeveloped appropriate” advertising.
With hashtags calling for a boycott of companies, products, or celebrities, many have called for government panels to control the media, just as previous releases have passed censorship boards. Industry experts say that companies have to give in because they have to protect their image and brand.
“Ads are removed because names are afraid… There are complaints that they can’t handle if they get into conflict. They don’t want to be involved in the daily grind. Even with a big name like Pepsi, the famous director of commercials Prahlad Kakkar said, “Someone accuses Michael Jackson of being a pedophile and he is removed from being brand ambassador, immediately,” he said.
However, there is a caveat. “If we continue to allow the media to be controlled, then the progress will stop.”
Over the years, the Indian advertising space has seen some campaigns and promotions that are admired for their creativity and vision. In 2017, Procter and Gamble featured real-life transgender Gauri Sawant and her adopted daughter in a commercial for Vicks.
The ’80s were dominated by commercial lies that women were merely objects to men or simply glamorous.
Last year, Hindustan Unilever’s Surf Excel brand came under fire for offending Hindu sentiments. The poster shows the young woman helping her Muslim friend reach the mosque during the Holi Festival. Earlier this year, women’s fashion brand Manyavar-Mohey was reportedly accused of insulting Hindu marriage ceremonies after Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt was showed questioning the “kanyadaan” tradition. The hashtag calling to protest Manyawar had also gone viral.
Vinod Bansal, National Spokesperson for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), believes there is a “conspiracy” behind the controversial ad. “This is a cheap ad…it happened in the past and they (the company) apologised. Opinions of all communities should be respected,” he said.
On the one hand, social media has changed the story of advertising by offering brands the opportunity to offer their products at low cost. But it also gives them a lot of influence, including negative comments and even threats to their lives.
Kakkar found a trend in online advertising that focuses on selective advertising. “Trolling is very systemic and uncontrollable. It is intentional because there is a system. There is nothing to protect the brand but to remove the ads.”
This country is central because it is so ideologically polarised. The left sees the reaction to the announcement as an attack on the country’s diversity and inclusion.
“We always have social media and I believe they have a greater impact than movies,” said Sadaf Jafar, National Director of the All India Mahila Congress. He pointed to a Google ad that showed two young women using the search engine to reunite with their grandfather, who had been separated due to the split. “Nice post. About friendship across borders.”
Despite the diversity in advertising, some ads have managed to rise above the noise and gain international recognition.
It’s like an advertisement for the chocolate brand Cadbury. Just two minutes long, the ad featuring Shah Rukh Khan uses artificial intelligence (AI) and allows local Kirana stores to create free ads for their stores with star Bollywood partners. Dubbed ‘NotJustACadburyAd’, the campaign aims to help small physical businesses affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
But then Cadbury became famous for its advertising logos, including the beautiful Kya swad hai zindagi mein campaign for the Dairy Center, which is still as fresh as it was when it was launched in 1994.
While the original commercial features a young woman celebrating her husband’s athletic victory, the new version shows a young man lauding his partner’s win. The latest version is also a commentary on how to change attitudes in a country where women are rarely praised for their work or achievements.
Mumbai-based commercial Film Director Kartik Bhupal said, “I believe ad success comes from the need to show content. A return to advertising is an emotion. Some will see a return, others an inspiring vision.”
Advertising experts say culture changes with everyone as each generation changes. Advertising changes with the needs of society – more support to eradicate global evils like racism or gender inequality. It’s from the people’s new thoughts and feelings that change emerges.