United Nations considers India to be the most dangerous place in the world to be born a girl. That’s because Indian parents would go to any length to have a son and not a daughter. Even if it means killing their daughter in the womb. Or just after birth.

Those who do not go that far find other ways to cope. Many refuse to call their daughters, daughters. Instead they call them beta, an Indian word for son. Parents feel that this re-labeling elevates the stature of their daughters. What it actually does is demean these girls and denies them their true identity.

As part of its Make for India initiative, Samsung wanted to educate people that calling a daughter, son is not just harmful but also unnecessary. After all, a daughter is a daughter. And just as worthy of affection and respect as a son.

Indians prefer sons to daughters. So when a girl is born to an Indian family, everyone’s disappointed. The father, like many other Indian fathers, decides that he won’t call his daughter, daughter. Instead he will address her as beta, an Indian word for son. As the girl grows up, the patriarchal elders keep challenging her free spirit but the father keeps stepping up for her. Because she is a son! He even sends her to get a technical degree from Samsung Technical School. Training that comes in handy when the power generator gives way during a wedding in the family. As our girl saves the day, even the patriarchal elders of the family concede that she is as good as a son. The father, however, has a realisation. He declares that a daughter is a daughter. And he decides never to deny her identity by calling her a son again.

The campaign released on YouTube, Samsung India website and social media pages on 29/05/2017.

The story was inspired by the life of Seema Nagar. A student of Samsung Technical School. Her father, like many Indian parents, used to call her beta, or son.

Almost immediately The Times of India, the world’s largest newspaper came out in support. Followed by prominent citizens like a MTV VJ and the head of Google India. This gave the campaign momentum and legitimacy since men of prominence were the first to come out in support.

At the same time the government at the local and the national level was made aware of the campaign. As were influencers on Twitter.

In PR, prominent men were the torchbearers of this movement while the media strategy pushed the content to women, encouraging them to share with their male family members. Thus creating a strong, complementary matrix.

– Highest Ever Female Viewership For An Indian Ad

– 81M Views 54K Likes 70K Shares

- 128K New Followers Added

– No 1 Viral Video in the World according to Ad Age

– Total Playing Time Online - 257 Years

- The Times of India, the world’s largest English newspaper adopted the cause

- Kalraj Mishra, Cabinet Minister in the Government of India not just tweeted the film but also felicitated Seema Nagar, the girl who inspired the story

- Seema Nagar was also felicitated by the Chief Minister of her state

- Prominent Indians like Rajan Anandan, Head of Google India and Jose Cavaco, MTV VJ came out in support

- Twitter was flooded by Indians promising to never call their daughter, son

We believed that Indian men would be loath to initiate a conversation about age-old patriarchal traditions like calling a daughter, son. So it was decided to focus on women as the primary audience. Especially the urban, educated women who have a voice in the family. The plan was to get these women to stop calling their daughters, sons. And have the men follow suit.

Since our message was relevant to the entire country, the ubiquitous Internet was chosen as the medium of dissemination.

Genres preferred by women online like Bollywood, fashion, lifestyle, and home improvement were used to promote the campaign.

Meanwhile, prominent male influencers took the message to our secondary audience – Indian men.

Samsung wanted to bring a shift in the mentality of the Indian society towards the girl child. They wanted Indians to discontinue the age-old patriarchal practice of calling daughters, beta, an Indian word for son. Such a change is impossible with just advertising. Therefore, a campaign was created that generated exponential word of mouth. Such was the momentum that even a Cabinet Minister of the Government of India and the Chief Minister of one of the largest states took notice and joined the cause. Not to mention prominent citizens like the head of Google India and a MTV VJ.