Entertainment
The ripples of a revolution seem to be in process. Of course, people won’t be unanimously agreeing with the fact that same sex marriage is okay, but at least the popular culture has started paying a heed to it. And it’s India, popular culture reaches people more easily and aggressively.
An Online video ad showing a lesbian couple preparing to meet the parents is making waves on social media. Country’s first ad based on same sex relationship, shows two women in a live-in relationship flirting and dressing up for the day, chatting about the expectations they face and their love for each other.
Titled 'The Visit', the ad for a fashion portal's ethnic wear collection has got over 2 lakh hits on YouTube over 10 days, says a news report by The Economic Times.
"We tried to avoid the stereotypes associated with gay people. There was no one woman looking more masculine or feminine in the film. We tried to give it a candid feel like it is any other couple being apprehensive about meeting the parents," Avishek Ghosh, co-partner of Hectic Content, the production house that made the film conceptualized by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore told the Economic Times.
"The ad has got 3 million views across social media like Facebook, YouTube etc," Manish Aggarwal, VP (marketing) at Myntra Fashion which is promoting the ad told the financial daily.
The visibility of same-sex couples is what makes this ad timely says LGBT rights activist Ashok Row Kavi. "This is a bold statement. Lesbians around the world have been in the news, they are getting married and fighting for their rights. This is what society sees, same-sex couples living happily, and there is a huge audience that accepts this," says Kavi.
Says ad-man K V Sridhar, "This trend started last year, with Fastrack ads that hinted homosexuality, Tanishq that showed a re-marriage etc. In India, while living in is still a shock, this ad has gone a step ahead. It is commendable."
Yes, people are still evaluating the reach of this ad as it’s online based. In a country with 20% internet penetration, this ad certainly has a limited reach. Yet, the admakers and brands pitching for a change is certainly a welcome change.
Have a look at the ad:
(Courtesy: YouTube)