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<ul><li>Controversies have always been a part of the advertising industry and the year 2021 was no different.</li><li>The year was full of ups and downs and a lot of brands landed in trouble for hurting religious sentiments through their campaigns.</li><li>We look at the year gone by and some brand controversies that erupted in India.</li></ul>2021 was bitter-sweet for the Indian advertising industry. This year gave us beautiful campaigns such as Cadbury’s remake of the famous stadium ad with the wonderful jingle Kuch Khaas hai, CRED’s Indiranagar Ka Gunda that still continues to appear in memes on the internet, Bhima’s Pure as Love ad that challenged the status quo, to mention a few. However, it was also a year full of controversies. Many brands landed themselves in trouble and numerous campaigns had to be pulled off.<br /><br />It is not too difficult today for a small tweet to snowball into a boycott trend, something that is every marketers’ and agency’s nightmare. At the same time, when brands have a presence on social media, they start having an opinion or a voice. If brands err on the side of caution, they are simply selling products to consumers and not engaging with them on a personal level. There will always be users who support the brand for standing up and fighting for causes they believe in but there will also be those who would oppose them at the slightest disagreement. GenZ is also becoming increasingly aware of how advertising works and is able to separate grey from black. They view brands as a form of self-expression and to connect with them, brands are also expected to go beyond just selling their products. They are known to connect with brands that they feel are socially and environmentally conscious. So, while many experts advise brands to steer clear of religious topics or make any political statements, there’s also pressure on brands and companies to take firm stands on issues that matter to these young consumers. <br /><br />As brands try to find the balance between making the right statement and offending a majority in the coming year, here are a few brands who found themselves in troubled waters this year:<br /><br /><strong>Manyavar</strong><br /><br />Bridal wear brand Mohey had released a commercial that aimed to offer a fresh perspective to the Hindu wedding ritual 'Kanyadaan.' With its campaign featuring Alia Bhatt, Mohey promoted women empowerment and gave a more gender-sensitive touch to the age-old tradition of ‘Kanyandaan’ in Hindu weddings and insisted on bringing in ‘Kanyamaan’ instead. <br /><br />“Through the film, Mohey’s brand ambassador Alia Bhatt questions the conventional beliefs that require a daughter to conform to being ‘given away’ at her wedding. She makes a choice on her wedding day to rethink rituals, stating what Kanyadaan means in modern times, making it more equal and progressive for her present and future generations,” explained its press release.<br /><br />However, this campaign did not sit well with Twitter users. It flared up a controversy on social media and the hashtag #BoycottManyavar started trending on Twitter. The trolls slammed the ad for mocking Hindu traditions.<br />    <div type="Youtube" id="PmCSjllj7KU" title="Tradition wahi, soch nayi - #KanyaMaan" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PmCSjllj7KU/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Cadbury beef row</strong><br /><br />Mondelez India had found itself in a soup too after a few screenshots surfaced on Twitter suggesting that its Cadbury Dairy Milk may contain gelatine derived from beef. Trolls were quick to call for a boycott on all Mondelez products but some users even pointed out that the screenshot being shared is that of Cadbury Australia’s website.<br /><div type="twitter" handle="DairyMilkIn" handlename="Cadbury Dairy Milk" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1327255370444668928/1NjkNhJE_normal.jpg" favoritecount="963" retweetcount="241" status="https://t.co/798qgPozsF" createdat="1626616484000" id="1416758336909840387"></div><br />The chocolate and snacks giant later clarified that its products in India are all vegetarian. It said that the screenshots circulated were of the company’s products sold overseas. <br /><br /><strong>FabIndia</strong><br /><br />Clothing brand FabIndia was criticised for its collection named 'Jashn-e-Riwaaz.' Twitterati alleged that the campaign purposely tried to hurt religious sentiments by associating the name ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ with Diwali, a Hindu festival. They even had a problem with women not wearing their badges of being married such as bindis, bangles and sindoor. <br /><br /><br /><br />Tejasvi Surya, MP and National President of the BJP Yuva Morcha had tweeted, “Deepavali is not Jash-e-Riwaaz. This deliberate attempt of abrahamisation of Hindu festivals, depicting models without traditional Hindu attires, must be called out. Brands like Fabindia must face economic costs for such deliberate misadventures.”<br /><br />Soon after that tweet, FabIndia deleted its post across social media and renamed its collection to ‘Jilmil-si-Diwali.’<br /><br /><strong>Sabyasachi</strong><br /><br />The designer brand was trolled heavily for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by promoting their ‘Royal Bengal Mangalsutra,’ which is a part of their Intimate Fine Jewellery line. The ace designer behind it, <keyword id="7202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sabyasachi-mukherjee" source="Orion">Sabyasachi Mukherjee</keyword>, decided to withdraw the campaign after it triggered an avalanche of online trolling for hurting religious sentiments. He retracted his campaign after Madhya Pradesh’s Home Minister Narottam Mishra issued a "24-hour ultimatum" and threatened to send the "police force."<br />    <div type="image" title="Sabya and mangalsutra ads" msid="88322071" hostid="261"></div><br /><strong>Dabur’s Fem</strong><br /><br />In the same week, Dabur’s Fem Cream Bleach advertisement stirred a boycott trend for showing a same-sex couple celebrating the Hindu festival of Karva Chauth. <br />    <div type="Youtube" id="-yu4_BIPkXU" title="Fem Ad on Karwa Chauth | Dabur Fem Controversial Ad | Viral Video" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-yu4_BIPkXU/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>CEAT</strong><br /><br />CEAT Tyres was criticised for an ad featuring Aamir Khan in which the actor was seen advising people not to burst crackers on Diwali.<br />    <div type="Youtube" id="wm4kOghHQ24" title="Switch to CEAT SecuraDrive | Aamir Khan- Cricket" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wm4kOghHQ24/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Zomato</strong><br /><br />Zomato landed in a controversy in October after a customer from Tamil Nadu alleged he was denied a refund for a missing item in his order as he didn't know the ‘national language’ Hindi. Soon, a massive backlash followed on Twitter with many slamming the food delivery app for imposing Hindi on its customers. This also led to hashtags "Reject_Zomato" and "ZomatoSpeakTamil" trending on top.<br /><br /><strong>Fortune oil</strong><br /><br />When Sourav Ganguly, BCCI President and Former India Cricket Captain, suffered a mild heart attack in January, netizens happened to re-discover his old ad endorsing Fortune's Cooking Oil. It then triggered a slew of tweets and jokes with people questioning the effectiveness of the oil and also wondering how the brand will tackle this crisis.<br /><div type="twitter" handle="arifaajakia" handlename="Arif Aajakia" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1463855466463862798/ZR5EoEHM_normal.jpg" favoritecount="161" retweetcount="13" status="Dada, get well soon. We love you. You are a tiger, you will come back roaring. @SGanguly99 https://t.co/F5rkPAlmNE" createdat="1609734280000" id="1345949241093586946"></div><br />On Valentine’s day this year, the brand published an honest print ad clarifying that there are many factors that can affect our heart's health. Adani Wilmar’s Fortune rice bran cooking oil was the only brand that did not bow down to trolls. <br /><div type="twitter" handle="FortuneFoods" handlename="Fortune Foods" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1230878437541371904/69ad0EW2_normal.jpg" favoritecount="15" retweetcount="2" status="Dada made a healthy comeback, as he always does! Here's a 'heart' felt message from him on Valentine's Day. Let's h… https://t.co/Je2cGatoz8" createdat="1613277036000" id="1360808636755320837"></div><br />

From Manyavar’s Kanyadaan to Cadbury’s beef row, here are a few brands that found themselves in trouble in 2021

<ul><li>‘Kanya’ means daughter and ‘daan’ means donation or giving away.</li><li>‘<keyword id="949737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kanyadaan" source="Orion">Kanyadaan</keyword>’ or the ‘giving away of the bride’ is a popular Hindu ritual where the father of the bride ‘gives away’ his daughter.</li><li>Mohey's latest campaign urges the audience to relook at this practice and give it a new meaning.</li></ul>In India, weddings are all about rituals and traditions that bring about a happy union. These age-old rituals have been an intrinsic part of our society and one of the most important being ‘Kanyadaan’. Highlighting upon this ritual and the conventional thought behind it, Mohey’s recent digital video campaign featuring <keyword id="6354526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alia-bhatt" source="Orion">Alia Bhatt</keyword> tries to promote a more inclusive and equal space for women in marriage and in life. It strives for a balance between tradition and equality. Through the film, Alia talks about a new idea that creates a union between the ritual itself and its underlying thought process placed in modern context.<br /><br />  <div type="Youtube" id="PmCSjllj7KU" title="Tradition wahi, soch nayi - #KanyaMaan" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PmCSjllj7KU/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />Completely adhering to our traditions and being reverent to our rituals, this film at the same time takes a modern stance on the conventional belief. Heralding a paradigm shift in our mindset from considering a girl child to be a liability, the film talks about sharing each other’s responsibility and journeying through thick and thin not only together but equally. The film ends with a small but significant gesture of respect and proposes a beautiful change from Kanyadaan, to Kanyamaan.<br /><br />“Mohey has always symbolized the progressive women of our society. Through this commercial, we have tried to bring about a shift in the mindset of the general populace while being respectful and fervent towards our traditions and rituals,” said Vedant Modi, CMO, Vedant Fashions Limited.<br /><br />Speaking about the making of the ad, the Director of Shreyansh Innovations, Shreyansh Baid opined, “we have always believed in progressive communication and our main thought behind making this film was to convey a strong message that is rooted in the rich Indian culture, and yet takes it a step forward by deriving inspiration from the new-age Woman and the new-age society. With Alia onboard we have been able to create a communication that strikes a chord and invokes a positive change. <br /><br />Adding to the thought, the very revered Alia Bhatt shared, "I absolutely believe in this thought and this is something very close to my heart. I am glad that I could be a part of this film and convey a message that might bring about a positive change in the society".<br />

Mohey's advertisement starring Alia Bhatt urges the audience to relook at the practice of Kanyadaan

<ul><li>When you are fighting a never-ending battle against age-old norms and working towards building an inclusive future for all genders beyond the binary, every small step counts.</li><li>This listicle is an effort to appreciate brands and advertising agencies that gave under-represented communities a much-needed chance to voice their concerns through their advertising campaigns.</li></ul>The first half of 2021 gave us some unpleasant personal memories that we all want to bury but the second half gave us some incredible campaigns that pushed the advertising and marketing industry a step forward towards inclusivity. These campaigns gave us hope that there will be a better tomorrow and reminded us to keep believing in ourselves. Some brand campaigns were like a warm hug that made us miss our childhood days -- when we didn’t have to worry about hustling remotely and catching a deadly virus -- and some encouraged us to keep fighting for gender equality. <br /><br />According to a study conducted by Cannes Lions and Google, consumers in APAC want to see more groups represented in marketing, and there’s a <a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/feature/year-in-search-for-brands/">strong appetite for more inclusive content</a>. But as per their research, it seems not enough inclusive content is being created. Only 1 in 5 consumers feel represented in the ads they see. The same research found that male characters in ads are significantly more likely to be shown as having an occupation than female characters (25.5% compared with 16.7%) and are shown as funnier than female characters (22.1% compared with 15.4%), while female characters are more sexualized than male characters — female characters are 4X more likely to be shown in revealing clothing than male characters (10.8% compared with 2.25%). <br /><br />However, there’s still hope. The Indian advertising and marketing world has taken a few baby steps towards gender equality and inclusivity this year. In this listicle, we look at a few brand campaigns that challenged regressive gender and cultural notions in an attempt to make a difference. <br /><br /><strong>UNAIDS’ The Mirror | Agency: FCB India<br /></strong><br />The film, ‘The Mirror,’ portrays a young boy who is pouting and opts out of playing with other children during a big Indian kite festival. His mother eggs him on but he sneaks off downstairs alone. He drapes himself in a woman’s scarf, and smiles as he sees his reflection in a mirror.<br /><br />Moments later, his mother and his grandmother catch him dancing dressed up. The music track stops, and the women stare at the boy. A few seconds of dread pass by and suddenly the women join him.<br /><br />This advertisement by FCB India and UNAIDS highlighted how gender diversity is not a lifestyle choice but an inherent right of all people. Gender stereotypes, especially towards LGBTIQ+, lead to stigma and discrimination. This is more pronounced in children and adolescents as diversity among them is not commonly understood and society puts massive pressure on them to conform to assigned gender norms at birth.<br />  <div type="Youtube" id="oulxCQeZtDo" title="The Mirror" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oulxCQeZtDo/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Bhima’s Pure as Love | Agency: Animal</strong><br /><br />Bhima Jewellery's ad shows us the journey of a brooding, unshaven boy who, thanks to the love and support of his loving, supportive family, transforms into a happy, confident young woman. The story is told with such simplicity and so much sensitivity that you rejoice with the character by the end of the film. <br /><br />What works in favor of the brand is, its inclusion in the story doesn’t feel forced. It is just seamlessly a part of the narrative. The young man is slowly growing more accepting towards himself, there is a lot of acceptance from everyone around him too. The film is full of love and the jewellery is just a part of the narrative. It is present, almost in every frame, but never the main focus.<br />  <div type="Youtube" id="NtaLr_r8R2E" title="Bhima Jewellery. Pure as love." thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NtaLr_r8R2E/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Elegant Steel’s Nari Shakti - The Steel Within | Agency: FCB India</strong><br /><br />Launched during Navratri, this campaign pointed out how the irony of celebrating Nari Shakti and female power for the nine days is very stark. Because for the rest of the year, we get busy dis-empowering her. How this biased narrative is maintained is through words. Cruel words, words aimed to put you in boxes, words to shame, words to make sure you never ever discover your true power within. When even one woman, refuses to succumb to this narrative, the swords and the pitchforks come out. Because you see, one woman freeing herself from the narrative, can inspire millions to break free, refuse to be cowed down and write their own story.<br /><br />This campaign celebrates women and the power they find within themselves to fight for a seat at the table and hopes for a better future for them.<br /><br />  <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div><br /><strong>Mohey’s Kanyamaan</strong> <br /><br />In India, weddings are all about rituals and traditions that bring about a happy union. These age-old Hindu rituals have been an intrinsic part of our society and one of the most important being ‘Kanyadaan.’ Questioning this outdate practice, Alia Bhatt and Mohey’s ad aimed to promote a more inclusive and equal space for women in marriage and in life. It strives for a balance between tradition and equality. Through the film, Alia talks about a new idea that creates a union between the ritual itself and its underlying thought process placed in modern context.<br /><br />However, the campaign did not well with social media trolls. They called for a boycott on the brand for targeting Hindu religion but the brand did not bow down. The campaign was an important reminder that we need to take another look at regressive practices that benefit patriarchy. <br />  <div type="Youtube" id="hUNAMOCocDE" title="Alia Bhatt Mohey Manyavar Ad TVC" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hUNAMOCocDE/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Vim’s Nazariya Badlo, Dekho Bartano Se Aage | Agency: Lowe Lintas</strong><br /><br />The TVC was a story of a prospective matrimonial arrangement, where the ‘independent guy’ under the implicit assumption that it is the wife’s job to cook and clean, tries to impress the girl by offering to ‘help’ her with cooking. The girl immediately offers to ‘help’ him with dishes, gently nudging him to be independent in household chores as well, as she could get late from work. The boy’s initial shock and eventual change of perspective drives home the campaign message of ‘Nazariya Badlo, Dekho Bartano Se Aage’. The girl in the ad is not only ‘more than her chores’ but also a change-maker who calls for equal partnership.<br /><br />  <div type="Youtube" id="cWIo7lTfdqs" title="Vim Liquid | Making dishwashing easy (Hindi)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cWIo7lTfdqs/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Saffola’s Rakhna Heart ka Khayal | Agency: Mullen Lintas</strong><br /><br />Moving away from the stereotypical gender role of a woman taking care of the husband and the family’s health, Saffola’s film reversed gender roles and showcased a modern couple where the husband is looking after his wife. It portrays the husband as the one who is concerned about the stress his wife goes through at work and its impact on her heart. While he cannot take away her stress, no matter how much he would like to, he does what’s in his control to take care of her heart. With this ad, Saffola and Mullen Lintas challenged the stereotypical FMCG ads we are tired of seeing. <br />  <div type="Youtube" id="VHqQwPCAT10" title="Saffola Gold Stress Film|Hindi|30sec" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VHqQwPCAT10/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Boondh’s UnGender Menstruation | Agency: Schbang<br /></strong><br />Menstruation has historically been a taboo subject in India. In recent times, while a lot of conversation has driven the discourse out into a space of open discussion, most of it has been led by cisgender women. The highly feminised language around menstruation has caused thousands of non-cisgender-women menstruators to wake up and still feel incorrect about a physiological process that doesn’t define their identity. <br /><br />To tackle the lack of representation in this space, Schbang For Good, the impact communication division of Schbang and Boondh Social Foundation had collaborated on Menstrual Hygiene Day, to shed light on the experiences of menstruating people who do not identify as cis-woman and highlight the shared struggles of every menstruator.<br /><br /><br /><br /><strong>Cadbury’s Kuch Khaas Hai | Agency: Ogilvy India</strong><br />Who hasn’t heard about Cadbury’s remake of Kuch Khass Hai ad? This campaign by Ogilvy India started a conversation on nostalgia and gender equality. The ad reversed the gender roles and normalised men showing emotions and cheering for their women partners.<br />  <div type="Youtube" id="z_OtC06ndUE" title="Cadbury Dairy Milk wishes #GoodLuckGirls to all those hitting it out of the park." thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/z_OtC06ndUE/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Dove India’s StopTheBeautyTest | Agency: Ogilvy</strong><br /><br />Dove’s StopTheBeautyTest film walked us through hard-hitting, real stories of beauty-based judgment and rejection faced by women during the matchmaking process, and the impact this has on their self-esteem.<br />  <div type="Youtube" id="E3kWzRB6Yy8" title="Dove | #StopTheBeautyTest (Hindi)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/E3kWzRB6Yy8/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Swiggy’s Women’s Day ad<br /></strong><br />Swiggy’s campaign aimed to bring about a change in the objectionable images of women that pop up when one searches for the term ‘Desi Masala.’ Swiggy urged its users to flood the Internet with posts and pictures tagging authentic Indian spices on websites, blogs, forums, and social media platforms that will help get rid of the lurid connotation that currently exists.<br />  <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div><br /><strong>WeWork’s Women Day ad</strong><br /><br />This campaign showed how stereotypes and biases at the workplace still haven't changed across the world.<br />  <div type="Youtube" id="9RMIdAEYLnE" title="WeWork India | International Women's Day 2021" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9RMIdAEYLnE/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><br />

10 Indian campaigns that made great strides towards gender equality and inclusivity in 2021

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From Manyavar’s Kanyadaan to Cadbury’s beef row, here are a few brands that found themselves in trouble in 2021

Karuna Sharma

Mohey's advertisement starring Alia Bhatt urges the audience to relook at the practice of Kanyadaan

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10 Indian campaigns that made great strides towards gender equality and inclusivity in 2021

Karuna Sharma

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