Is Laundry only a women’s job?

25 years ago, as I started my advertising career, #Ariel washing powder had just been launched in India, with the proposition of ‘no need to scrub’. The ad by #LeoBurnett was a conversation between a mother-in-law,  daughter-in-law duo, where the latter tells the much experienced mother-in-law, that thanks to Ariel, the rules of washing had changed. It was a commentary on the changing saas-bahu dynamics in the country, with the power balance shifting.

Many years later, with #ShareTheLoad by #BBDO, Ariel has grabbed attention by raising another question reflecting the changes in society. Why must washing be the job of the woman alone?

Much has changed between the two campaigns, from #LeoBurnett to #BBDO, from promising no scrubbing to being silent about the rational promise, from a TV ad to a ‘content’ campaign, from celebrating a young woman’s new age washing knowledge to liberating her from the chore.

One thing remains constant though – brands that weave their story around an emerging socio-cultural narrative that is category relevant, yet larger, score their point powerfully.