Not every ad is revolutionary or leaves a lasting impact. But some manage to strike that right chord with a heartfelt message and quickly win the appreciation of both viewers and customers. The key reason behind the imperishable success of such ads lie in the strength and relevance of the message conveyed. One such is the UrbanClap ad that I came across today. A laudable effort taken amid the raging debates about the scrapping of Article 377, UrbanClap’s LGBT-themed ad gives a positive message and depicts the beauty of gender acceptance in a convincing and compelling way.
It’s about a young homosexual girl whose dad has a hard time accepting her sexual orientation, in spite of being a rebel in his era, and marrying a Muslim woman despite oppositions from family and society. With the aid of her supportive mother, she finally proves that right to love is equal for all, including the LGBT community.
Advertising is no more just about knowing the product. Brands no more tend to play safe and stick to comfortable and marketable stereotypes. They’ve learned to break new ground and make ads made in support of sensitive issues and marginalized sections in the society. Brands like Tanishq and Brooke Bond Red Label have broken societal stereotypes and adopted such creative tacks before. They’ve successfully replaced old and boring product-driven ideas with many thought-provoking and socially relevant ad campaigns. However, still-taboo topics like homosexuality are scarcely-discussed when compared to religious unity, remarriage, dating and menstruation. Here is the reason: Most brands, ad makers, and marketers are scared to approach this sensitive area. They fear the strong backlash of a largely homophobic section of our society, should they take up such bold subjects that are rarely discussed in open in our country. With every ad in support of LGBT getting launched, both support and scathing condemns surface from all four sides. But reviles are often more in number when compared to applauds because several prejudiced views on LGBT community still continue to thrive in many parts of India.
Indian brands that have displayed the grit to make LGBT-themed ads are just a handful –Anouk, Red Lotus, and UrbanClap to name a few. Their ads successfully link convincing stories and brand propositions realistically, while urging the society to let go of outmoded norms and embrace the change for good. Hence, most viewers are emotively compelled to recognize and accept the facts narrated in such ads. These path breaking steps taken by well-known brands definitely deserve lots of accolades and recognition. Because, such bold decisions might sometimes invite more brickbats than bouquets; still they choose such socially relevant concepts and unhesitatingly embrace LGBT causes.
Will more brands ‘come out of the closet’ with such innovative ad campaigns?
P.S. – Some brands and ad makers shamelessly go overboard and showcase their shallow progressiveness by stereotyping the LGBT community. They are unlikely to be perceived as groundbreaking, and will never do any sustained good for the brand or the viewers.
Advertising is no more just about knowing the product. Brands no more tend to play safe and stick to comfortable and marketable stereotypes. They’ve learned to break new ground and make ads made in support of sensitive issues and marginalized sections in the society. Brands like Tanishq and Brooke Bond Red Label have broken societal stereotypes and adopted such creative tacks before. They’ve successfully replaced old and boring product-driven ideas with many thought-provoking and socially relevant ad campaigns. However, still-taboo topics like homosexuality are scarcely-discussed when compared to religious unity, remarriage, dating and menstruation. Here is the reason: Most brands, ad makers, and marketers are scared to approach this sensitive area. They fear the strong backlash of a largely homophobic section of our society, should they take up such bold subjects that are rarely discussed in open in our country. With every ad in support of LGBT getting launched, both support and scathing condemns surface from all four sides. But reviles are often more in number when compared to applauds because several prejudiced views on LGBT community still continue to thrive in many parts of India.
Indian brands that have displayed the grit to make LGBT-themed ads are just a handful –Anouk, Red Lotus, and UrbanClap to name a few. Their ads successfully link convincing stories and brand propositions realistically, while urging the society to let go of outmoded norms and embrace the change for good. Hence, most viewers are emotively compelled to recognize and accept the facts narrated in such ads. These path breaking steps taken by well-known brands definitely deserve lots of accolades and recognition. Because, such bold decisions might sometimes invite more brickbats than bouquets; still they choose such socially relevant concepts and unhesitatingly embrace LGBT causes.
Will more brands ‘come out of the closet’ with such innovative ad campaigns?
P.S. – Some brands and ad makers shamelessly go overboard and showcase their shallow progressiveness by stereotyping the LGBT community. They are unlikely to be perceived as groundbreaking, and will never do any sustained good for the brand or the viewers.