Indian Women's Day ads that went beyond clichés

Growing up, it did not take long for me to grasp the towering walls that stand between men and women in our country. Having a working mother who cared for me and my sister, we never felt the weight of those barriers directly, but society never failed to remind us. From unsolicited remarks about her so-called 'wheatish' complexion to judgements about her height and the sleeves of her kurta, everything was under constant scrutiny. It still is. In a country where patriarchy uses women to perpetuate its existence, it often forgets that resistance will also come from within. My mother, my sister, and the many remarkable women I have been fortunate to know have all pushed back against the rigid expectations of our society. Every single day.

According to the latest data, among 26.21% of women who faced any kind of violence, 60% (11,679) experienced physical violence, 23.87% (4,314) were physically injured due to severe IPV(Intimate partner violence), 2.15% experienced sexual violence, and 9.54% experienced emotional violence. From wage gaps at the workplace to the relentless imposition of unrealistic beauty standards that chip away at women's self-esteem, the struggle remains undeniable. Yet, amid these challenges, the landscape of advertising has slowly begun to shift. Advertisers have started to acknowledge the nuances of representing women. While some campaigns may lean into clichés or miss the mark, others have been successful in delivering their message.

Although it would be naïve to claim that advertising alone can dismantle the deeply entrenched patriarchy within our society, it undeniably sparks conversations and evokes emotions, and perhaps that is where change begins. Campaigns like Dove's #StopTheBeautyTest call out the deeply rooted beauty standards that confine women, urging society to abandon its 'ugly search for beauty.' Reebok India's #BruisesCanBeGood campaign presents a striking image of a bruised woman in a box, a scene that instinctively draws assumptions of domestic violence, only to reveal that she is, in fact, a martial artist. This campaign highlights not only the grim normalisation of violence against women but also the resilience and strength they embody.

We take a look at all the ads that have portrayed women beyond the cliches over the years.

Titan Raga #BreakTheBias

Anouk Bold is Beautiful: Pregnancy doesn't mean the end of the Career

Paytm presents “The Divide” | A Social Experiment

Manjha | #SearchForChange

Reebok India – #BruisesCanBeGood

StarSports – #CheckOutMyGame

The Superwoman | Tanishq

JSW –  #EveryWomanStrong

Mia - #BestAtWork

Dove | #StopTheBeautyTest (Hindi)

Did you come across any other interesting brand campaigns on Women's Day that we missed out on? If yes, then share it with us at content@socialsamosa.com