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 29^th 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.