Creative Critique from a gender lens: 20-26 July

Aashirvaad

Mothers are eulogised in pop culture - as most sacrificing, tolerating and forgiving people. The ad depicts some of those traits, particularly giving the roti made for her by her daughter to someone else. Once again it is an ideal type. In reality many women do not fit into this image. A woman can be a good parent without being self-sacrificing and self-effacing. However, the ad takes a step forward by depicting all the family members recognising her contribution and doing their bit to make her birthday special by sharing the tasks. 

 

GS Score 3.5/5

 

Cadbury Dairy Milk Crispello

Good to see in the young bunch of people a girl also enjoying the fun ride. 

 

GS Score: 3.25/5

 

Cars24

A favourite celebrity, an important service yet the ad focuses entirely on men, even when they had an opportunity to show a woman as a buyer among many buyers that they portrayed. It once again sticks to the stereotype that cars are for men and are bought by men alone. While it is true that most cars are bought by men, time we give visibility to women who are equally passionate about cars and driving. 

 

GS Score: 2/5

 

PokerStars 

 

 

 

 

The ads are interesting not just because they show a woman in one of the ads competing with MS Dhoni. But, because the woman shown in the ad is different - a 73 year old woman passionate about running and sports. And, she is not an athelete but an ordinary woman. In yet another ad they show the young man plaiting the hair of his sister on his mothers insistence and it portrays a warm and casual rapport between the mother and the son. Two women are also shown in the open courtyard while the girl’s hair is being plaited by the man, one reading a book and another playing an instrument, instead of engaging in “typically” women tasks of cooking and cleaning.

 

GS Score: 4.5/5

 

RBL Bank 

It is increasingly being seen that women and senior citizens are the easy targets for fraudsters. The ad does well by showing a woman exposing the fraudster and asserting that she knows how to protect herself from such frauds. With increasing use of financial and banking services by women, it is important that they get to be seen in the ads related to these industries.

 

GS Score: 3.5/5

 

Vectus  

 

Bored celebrity couple wanting to do an ad for Vectus!!!  No comment.

 

Zomato

Yet again another interesting ad, which moves beyond “Maa ka khana” to a more casual equation between the mother and the son with regard to food. It is important to have more such messages in public domain as they form the basis for more gender and inter-generational equality.

 

GS Score: 3.75/5