Advertising has been that kid who has the courage to express their opinions in a classroom. The simplest way to accept a community with such diversity is to incline to learn the other side of the story and draw conclusions. Social media has always been an open place for one to understand, learn and evolve. And such open environment gives an individual their whisper an echo.
Although sometimes the kid gets trashed for their opinion. Remember Dabur India’s Karva Chauth ad from last year? Its brand Fem faced a lot of flak for showing two women fasting for each other. So much so, that the brand withdrew the advertisement and issued a public apology for the same.
On the other hand, we also have a brand like Starbucks, which has been openly called “woke” by the public, for their #ItStartsWithYourName Campaign.
Way back in the 90s, when broadcasting was on an exponential growth, the media industry open doors to inclusiveness in an attempt to influence people. But the lack of societal awareness, resulted in the demotion of the community in media solely for ‘comic relief’ purposes. Movies like Raja Hindustani, pyaar kiya toh darna kya, dilwale dulhania le jayenge etc. have all had taken a ladder of queerbaiting to step on the representation.
The 2000s, changed the scenario, with increased awareness and acceptance for the community, thanks to the era of globalisation. The turning point was, however, the year 2018, when article 377 which prohibited same-sex relationships, was uplifted. In 2019, India took one step ahead and appointed a transgender female as a judge in Supreme Court. With growing discussions and open forums advocating for change, it was new media that added an extra mile to that journey.
Indian advertising companies had found a way to become socially responsible and convey a better message to the society and recognize the importance of influence. Some of the most stand apart advertisements in the recent past, known for having represented this community are as follows:
- Vicks#touchofcare: P&G decided to take the first leap and talk about the warmth of an individual. The advertisement decided to emphasise on the affection of a transgender female and her adopted daughter. Namely, Gauri Sawant. While most of the ads that talk about the community, it usually shows affection between partners. But in this ad film, the essence of family care was showcased.
- Anounk-Bold is Beautiful: This ad was launched in 2018, which represented, the brand Anounk- an ethnic wear brand from Myntra. This advertisement depicted a lesbian relationship who were vocalizing their relationship to their parents. The ending of the ad had kept the audiences open to assumptions.
- Titan Fastrack- Come out of closet: In the year 2013, when representation of LGBTQ+ was under wraps, portrayed two girls who stepped out of closet with fumbled clothes. The film was considered a bold step with a tagline ‘come out of the closet….move on’. The message was to open up to express your sexuality.
- Ariel#MakeItPossible: Kerala’s first transgender doctor who embraced her trueself by coming out after a three decades decided to achieve her dreams and break the stereotypes. Ariel decided to make this as an ad film to influence people and accept their true selves.
The media industry, has no doubt, the power to advocate and influence inclusiveness in the society. This pride month, let our creativity free and building strong and effective communications, to bring about a change that matters.
We at 3 Dots Design, believe to stand by inclusivity and create communications that pave the path for change. To know more about us, visit us http://www.3dotsdesign.in/