Et tu Brutus : ‘Har Ghar, Amul Ghar’

I have grown up on Amul Ads…no actually, I have grown up admiring and looking forward to every new Amul  print Ad. Most Indians, my generation, would agree with me. So, it was a bit of disappointment to read an article in a daily financial paper where Amul got  flak for releasing a sexist commercial.

A beautiful and perfect home.  A complete family with parents, grandparents and children- an adorably cute daughter and an innocent new born baby boy in the crib. I seemed to be enjoying the happiness in the family when I got a sudden jolt. A scene which took me back to shackles of age old conventions.  The film opens with a little girl decorating the room to welcome the new baby. She places a nice Barbie doll and Winnie the Pooh in the crib hoping to play with her sibling. The father of the new born baby replaces the doll with a Superhero toy saying, ‘Bhai isse thode na khelega’. Here onwards the age old conventional structure of our society takes over the narrative of the story. Further, the girl who is upset over having a baby brother because brothers don’t play with dolls, is then taught to play cricket by her father.

Dolls are for girls and Cricket is for boys – Actually, when I sat over this thought, I realized, team Amul and their advertising partners are narrating a story which they have forever seen and grown up with. So before, pointing fingers at them, I questioned myself, few of my friends – male and female, working and non working as to what birthday gifts would they give to a baby girl and baby boy respectively. Unanimous but obviously shocking answer was dolls, doll house, purses, and makeup kits (thank god – the kitchen set is not so much in fashion now J ). For boys- boxing gloves, cricket sets, cars and other sporty stuff.

At one point of my life, I truly believed in Blue for boys and Pinks for girls…that was my conditioning and years of work in space of Gender equality has helped me erase ( or so I think J ) these stereotypical conventions. This in spite of my childhood spent over Kite flying, playing marbles, cards, cricket and hockey along with henna and dolls and kitchen sets. It has taken hours of conscious and mindful thinking reading, and debating over the subject to develop deep sensitivity towards creating a heightened consciousness on gender equality.

Our children are smarter than us, more sensitive than us. I took it to myself to observe playing patterns of siblings ( brothers and sisters) and found brothers and sisters sharing their games irrespective of whether it was playing with a doll or a ball. I conducted a small survey amongst kids between age of 10 – 12 to know what they think about this subject matter. Most of them felt it was regressive, it showcased stereotypes. I see Hope. I see Light.

So, Dear admen and Amul team, it would not have hurt if it was a deo or an undergarment commercial..I don’t consider them as communication; it hurts because it was you. It felt like Brutus stabbing Ceaser. Definitely more research on current playing habits of siblings, a more responsible approach towards populating conventional stereotypes would do good to you, good  to us and to our nation.

Grow, before the new generation outgrows your brand and your regressive creativity.