Campaign India Team
May 16, 2016

He pits Vir Das against sexist ads, pitches 'Respect' for her

Watch the ad film conceptualised by Leo Burnett here

He Deodorants has rolled out a new ad film that takes on sexist advertising featuring women. The film has been conceptualised be Leo Burnett and features comedian and actor Vir Das.
 
The film takes a stand against meaningless objectification of women in ads and launches He's new variant 'Respect'. 
 
It opens with Das aping a mango juice ad film, as he 'sensually' plays with a mango. The director urges him to make a more sexy expression. Das says 'Okay' and tries to, but looks at the mango realising 'this is just odd'. The film shifts to another set where an ad for a motorbike is being shot. Das appears again, in a pair of denims and T-shirt, perched on the pillion of the bike, He responds to the first character saying if he thought that was odd, 'What do you call this?', while shaking his rear. Yet another stereotype of advertising is portrayed by another Das in a bathtub, 'taking care of his komal twacha' (soft skin) as a camera pans his body. At a beach, Das is in a women's beach robe licking an ice cream stick, wondering aloud that 'This is supposed to sell a lot of ice-cream'. Back on the bike, Das, with his legs up on the handlebar, says, 'Bike sales go up if I put my legs like this'. Dressed like an angel, yet another version of Das says, 'I fell from heaven for deo'. Before stepping into reality, Das sarcastically notes that 'it's a good thing' women don't have to what he just did. That way they never have to feel 'uncomfortable, awkward, objectified, pointless.' 
 
He goes on to underline that one doesn't have to objectify women to sell a product, and adds, "So, it's refreshing to see a deodorant brand like He, doing the opposite." He introduces He Respect perfumed deos, with the promise that 'The proceeds of the profits from sale of He Respect is aimed to support the welfare of women.'  
 
The film was published online on 13 May 2016.
Source:
Campaign India

Related Articles

Just Published

10 hours ago

Moves and wins roundup: Week of 30 Dec

Our weekly roundup of the latest appointments and account wins from Redmatter, Confiance Communications, JioStar, Foundit, McCann, Trailytics, Redmatter, and many more.

10 hours ago

Building brands: Bold, thoughtful, and unapologetica...

Stratedgy's co-founder takes an overview of how various top brands in India went beyond the ordinary this year, combining elements of culture, innovation, and customer connections.

11 hours ago

Festive versus holiday marketing: Connecting with ...

Greenply's VP for marketing decodes holiday consumer mindsets, offering tips for crafting impactful brand messaging during vacations.

13 hours ago

Proease’s #BadalKarDekho campaign: Breaking ...

Its digital campaign urges women to reject societal 'adjustments' and prioritise comfort, starring Tejasswi Prakash for inspiration.