More on TV Commercials and Human
Relationships
It
is Rakhi time in India. The festival celebrating the bond of siblings, brothers
and sisters is to be celebrated on 29th August 2015. A precocious
brother says that the sister ties Rakhi so that the brother can/ should protect
her. The sister tells him with a twinkle in her eyes that she knows how to
protect herself. She ties a Rakhi so that he can gift her Cadbury Celebration sweets
that he has bought for her by saving money from his pocket money. She ties the
Rakhi and the bother gifts the box to her. She open and eats one and loves its
yummy taste. The brother tries to snatch away the box from her hands. She
pushes his hand aside and tells him with a laugh that she knows how to protect
her sweets as well. This commercial is very simple and yet very touching. The
love, warmth and camaraderie shared by the duo finds an echo in every heart and
is very appealing. The commercial also
projects how confident and strong and yet sensitive the present day Indian girls
are.
Another
commercial that holds immense appeal is that of the Lloyd Washing Machine. A
couple visits a showroom to purchase a washing machine. On entering the
Showroom, the husband tells the salesperson to show washing machines to
‘Madam’. He stands aside and starts fiddling with his Mobile phone as if he has
nothing to do with the purchase. The lady with a glint in her eyes and a
mischievous smile asks to be shown ‘Unisex’ washing machine. Both men are
flummoxed. She points out that the husband has never used the previous machine
and hence she would like to go in for a ‘unisex’ machine. The salesman shows
her a machine with a touch screen menu which the husband can use easily and
effortlessly. The commercial shows the changing nature of the society and how
the stereotypes are being broken every day. It shows equality and equal
distribution of work in a home. "It's so easy, that even Sir can do the
washing," says the wife in Lloyd's latest commercial for its washing
machine range, before a male voice-over goes on to highlight the "easy
swipe touch panel" and other cool technology. Nipun Singhal, Director,
Lloyd Electric & Engineering says, “The campaign targets urban women and at
the same time inspires men to stop taking women for granted. Men tend to
abdicate their responsibility towards helping their wives out in this chore.”
Now
days, taboo products and subjects like Sanitary Napkins, Condoms and Pregnancy
Test kids are being advertised on Radio as well as TV to increase sales and
enhance public awareness. Balika Vadhu
Star and Shilpa Shetty have featured in Pregnancy Test Kits. One TV Commercial
highlights the emotional, mental and moral support rendered by a husband in a
very friendly, supportive manner by a husband to his expecting wife. The wife has
learnt that she is pregnant and hence is a little jittery and nervous. She is a
little reluctant as she feels she would become fat/ obese and would face mood
swings. The husband says that he too would become fat with her and they would
be together. The ad shows the openness, warmth and sharing cum concern of the
partner for his wife.
The
Rin ‘Chamkate Rahana’ adv commercial
deals with the relationship of a father and daughter. On the day one of
daughter’s job in a bank, the father, an auto-rickshaw driver drops her to her
workplace- a bank, in his auto. She meets her boss outside the bank and he
compliments her on her white blouse and skirt and says she looks a perfect professional
in her outfit. Then he notices the auto and asks her as to why she has come in
an auto. The girl, Shreya Pilgaonkar, hugs the auto driver and with immense
pride declares that he is her father and puts her ahnd round his shoulders. The
boss’s embarrassment is obvious and he is flummoxed. He does not know how to
respond. He regains his composure and shakes hand with the auto driver father.
The daughter walks with pride to the entrance of her workplace. I love this commercial
for its frank and realistic portrayal of the father-daughter duo bond and pride
in each other’s achievements.
The
nature of the commercials is changing so fast and to maintain simulacrum, they
are now focused on the projection of human relationships.
