IDEA:

See Equal #ShareTheLoad

When you see equal, you share equal!

BACKGROUND:

Removing ‘cultural stain’ of gender inequality to build brand & business since 2015:

In a category that only spoke ‘stain-removal’, #ShareTheLoad changed the conversation

surrounding laundry with a provocative question– “Is laundry only a woman’s job?”, thus

redefining ‘purpose-led-performance’.

In 2015, 79% men believed that laundry was a woman’s job. Ariel made gender equality at

home its mission. Over 6 years, #ShareTheLoad created a shift, nudging men to take up

housework.

Competition brands were flexing their muscles:

•Increasing share--of-voice each year

•Product innovations

• Owning category code of ‘stain’ with festival-specific communication

•Creating conversation with inclusivity in communications

CHALLENGE:

How to keep a purpose-led campaign engaging and effective after 6 successful years? Further

our mission of ending inequality at home? Adopt short-term tactics to boost sales and equity?

SOLUTION:

In a culture where wives are conditioned to obey their husband, we could be the ones to

nudge them to take a defiant stand and question the double standards of men!

“Do you see me as your equal, like you see other men in your life?”

The 2021 World Economic Forum report also revealed a shocking truth: at the current pace of

change, gender parity is 135 years away-- no woman alive will experience gender parity.

This reality shaped Ariel’s brief:

1.How do we radically accelerate the pace of change of gender inequality at home?

2.How do we affect an immediate mindset shift in men to share the load?

3. How to move the needle on functional and emotional equity, and social impact?

Social listening revealed shocking gender bias in culture:

•73% men shared household chores with other men.

•80% women believe their partners know household tasks but choose not to do them.

•Growing radical impatience: Women are tired of waiting for men to change—they loudly

demand to see it NOW.

Media imagery perpetuates gender stereotypes:

•Most household products’ advertising depicts women as homemakers-- men are absent.

(Gender Bias & Inclusion in Advertising in India– UNICEF, 2021)

Indian women are conditioned to never challenge their husband.

•Traditionally, husband is ‘Pati-Parmeshwar’ (almighty). Even today, 87% of Indians believe

wife must obey husband (Pew-Study, 2022).

EXECUTION:

We had to show the uncomfortable truth:

We started with a film that had the woman take a defiant stand. For the first time in

Indian advertising, a wife confronted her husband-- why can men share the load

with other men but not with their wives. Is it because they never saw them as equals?

Next, through the front page of dailies, Ariel made a public appeal to content creators &

marketeers to join in representing an equal tomorrow.

Then, Ariel turned its packs into silent voices of dissent by replacing the brand name with

Indian male names.

Influencers and media spread our message, triggering conversations.