WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY… AND HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO

This Woman’s Day, let me take you to a trip down memory lane.

Since the 70s, there have been many iconic ads which have been nothing short of milestones in Indian Advertising. Here are some of them:

THEN

1. COME ALIVE: A girl enjoying her bath and prancing around under a waterfall (in Kodaikanal) was a novelty for the Indian audience in the 70s. It was “fresh” to say the least. And life was not the same for the model Karen Lunel after this. Watch it here. The wild exuberance that she portrayed was in equal measure good acting and the fact that the water was freezing cold!

2. LALITAJI: While the Liril girl was about self expression, Lalitaji was the smart and assertive avatar of the woman. This ad campaign took on Nirma at their own game and repositioned it as a more costly option and helped Surf gain market share. Watch it here. “Sasti cheez khareedne mein aur achhi cheez khareedne mein fark hota hai…”

3. RASNA GIRL: Ankita Jhaveri became the face of Rasna in the 80s. The films were all about what a girl her age would do – playing around, having toys, birthday parties etc. Watch it here. It became a mammoth task to replace Ankita after she had grown up.

NOW

1. TANISHQ REMARRIAGE AD: This ad reflected how a society is moving away from the dogmas of the past. Watch it here. The fact that it was a dusky woman portraying the role
also helped break stereotypes.

2. LOVE BEYOND THE STEREOTYPES:. This film celebrated homosexuality and it was warm, sensitive and beautiful all the way. Watch it here.

3. THE WOMAN’S AD FILM WITH A TWIST: This film by Titan radically changes the way you look at a professional woman and her success. Watch it here.