Mum's The Word: How Brands Are Breaking The Stereotype, One Ad At A Time

It's the 90s. A newly married couple visits a kitchenware shop, and when asked what they would like to buy, the young bride mouths the words 'pressure cooker' to her husband instead of the shopkeeper, like any 'cultured' Indian homemaker would do. While enumerating the merits of a Prestige cooker, the merchant smugly hints that it is best suited for a husband who loves his wife, summing up with the catchphrase – Jo Biwi Se Karein Pyaar, Woh Prestige Se Kaise Inkaar. 

When Abhishek Bachchan was roped in to shoot Prestige's ad in 2013, he used these very words while soothing his upset wife. The only thing that changed was that Aishwarya Rai was assertive about her husband's late-night. However, she was still fiddling in the kitchen amidst the pots, pans and pressure cooker – the unlikeliest setting for the former Ms World and actress.

Nonetheless, this is a marked improvement from TTK's print ads in the 70s, which pictorially compared two homemakers. In the first, a lady seated on the floor with utensils around her feet was stirring a pot on a kerosene stove. The second showed a woman with the pressure cooker who 'is able to cook in minutes... has more time, more money for other useful work.'

This series of ads highlight that over the decades, the quintessential Indian mother is someone who is a grihani – an uncomplaining accomplished homemaker adroitly manages her domestic world, which comprises her universe, always putting her family's needs first. All this with her starched saree draped precisely with nary a hair strand out of place, with the mangalsutra prominently on display.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW SLOWLY

That is not to say that some visual representations of mothers have not evolved. Most people in the 70s, 80s and 90s grew up listening to one popular jingle - 'Hema, Rekha, Jaya Aur Sushmaa, Sabki Pasand Nirma'. It made the Nirma washing powder a household name and helped the brand stand up to competition from Surf.

In 2011, the indigenous soap brand reiterated its mass appeal, albeit with a contemporary twist. The TVC showed four ladies in a car getting down and dirty to push an ambulance stuck in the mud. All this while the men around them just stood and watched.

Over the years, several other brands also tried to adopt a progressive stance while depicting mothers in their bid to diminish traditional gender stereotypes. So while she was still the caring warden of her family's needs, it reflected the diversity where she was a sum of several personalities.

Amongst them is Ariel. Wanting to spotlight the reality of inequality within Indian households, it launched the #ShareTheLoad campaign in 2015. It aimed to address "the unequal expectations placed on men and women starting from a young age, by asking pertinent questions that make the audience think, introspect and act."

A dipstick survey by Ariel back then found that 2 out of every 3 women felt there was inequality between men and women in the home, while 76% of men believed that laundry is a woman's job. The brand's #ShareTheLoad campaign attempted to create conversations around gender equality by putting the division of domestic tasks in the crosshairs.

Jewellery brand Tanishq recently launched its latest digital film, 'The Interview,' to coincide with Mother's Day. The 2-minute video attempts to break stereotypes around maternity break, showcasing an apt description of Life's Boot Camp through the eyes of a new mother.

Talking about the campaign Ranjani Krishnaswamy, General Manager – Marketing, Tanishq, Titan, said, "The woman of today is seeking to express herself with honesty and authenticity to celebrate her realities confidently. She's thriving in her vulnerability while rising in her power to change her world. The brand believes these powerful stories build positive momentum in cultivating a world of equality and adding to her self-growth. This film is an ode to women who challenge set narratives and inspire many others to follow the change."

BREAKING STEREOTYPES

Brands like Tata Tea, Havells and Biba have taken a pole position when it comes to questioning conventional norms and breaking archetypal stereotypes about how mothers, and motherhood are portrayed in advertising. Hearteningly, this representation has shifted considerably, with many ads acting as stories of women empowerment, who are equal to their male counterparts.

Prega News recently launched a video film that captures women's insecurities with the portrayal of three starkly different personalities. One has happily entered the phase of motherhood, and the other is highly sceptical about her career options as a model post her pregnancy. Then there is an ambitious woman worried that motherhood would prevent her from getting a seat at the table.

The self-testing pregnancy company attempted to break the stereotypical inhibitions in most women's minds that motherhood could be the worst punctuation of their career life - a full stop. Instead, its #SheCanCarryBoth campaign entertains a sense of inclusivity, motivating women to celebrate various phases of womanhood without compromising on their dreams or ambitions.

It is assuring that today's mother is depicted as one who has mastered the art of time management while juggling multiple roles – both personally and professionally – in commercials. The advertising world received an impetus to toe this gender-balanced line when the Cannes Lions festival introduced the Glass Lion award in 2015. The objective was simple – it sought to recognise advertising that shatters gender stereotypes.

This provoked the marketing and communications industry to promote positive change proactively. No longer is today's mum shown as someone second to the man of the house or as a superwoman multi-tasking without a complaint. Instead, these ladies of 2022 are women who strike a balance, be it as a confident boss, the mother with her coolth factor intact, or a supportive spouse.

This evolution of how mothers are portrayed on-screen is welcome, as the positive imagery will give a massive fillip to the #BreakTheBias theme for International Women's Day 2022. One can only hope it will pave the path for an equitable and inclusive world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination.