It's time for sons to #ShareTheLoad, says Ariel's latest branded film
The detergent brand has been using the power of storytelling in its purpose-driven content strategy since 2015 in its campaign that fights gender inequality. In this phase of the campaign, the brand wants mothers to raise a whole new generation of sons who know how to #ShareTheLoad. Because when the sons of today become husbands of tomorrow, they should be equipped to share the load
Ariel has been talking about the gender inequality cause since 2015 as part of its #ShareTheLoad campaign. Continuing its initiative, the washing powder brand has launched its new campaign wherein it raises a relevant question — are we teaching our sons what we are teaching our daughters? The campaign urges mothers to be the change-makers of society and hence relook at the way they raise their sons.
While the weight of external jobs is often split between the couple, women continue to single-handedly take responsibility of the household chores. When husbands are not equipped to share the load with home tasks, the entire weight falls on the women’s shoulders, which in turn affects their career aspirations and performance at work.
The award-winning #ShareTheLoad movement began in India to address the issue of equality, aspiring for happier households where men and women share the load equally. Towards this, Ariel has continued to raise pertinent questions that make the audience think, introspect and act. And over the years, this has had a significant impact. More men today are sharing the load than ever before.
According to a survey, in 2015, 79% men thought household chores are a women’s job. In 2016, 63% men thought household chores are a woman’s / daughter’s job and ‘outside’ work is man’s / son’s job. In 2018, this number has reduced to 52%. Despite progress, more work is still to be done.
Through this new film conceptualised by BBDO, Ariel wants to go deeper into the reasons for this disparity and talk about the upbringing of children. Even within the same progressive households, there is often a difference in the way our sons and daughters are being raised. Daughters now are being raised to be strong, independent and confident to excel in all fields. But, they continue to be the primary caretakers of households once they get married. This places unbalanced expectations and burden on them, which can hamper their professional growth. While society is changing, there is not always enough attention paid to raising sons in a different manner. For example, teaching them some new life skills such as laundry or cooking, to help better manage their future and make them advocates of household equality. If not taught to #ShareTheLoad, the sons of today become the husbands of tomorrow, who may not be prepared enough to be equal partners.
A survey by an independent third party in 2018 also reveals some differences in the male and female approaches. 72% of women believe weekends are for grocery shopping, laundry and getting homework done while 68% of Indian men believe that weekends are for relaxation. Coming to daily household tasks like laundry, many women continue to single-handedly take responsibility of all the chores. 68% of women come back from work and do laundry regularly, while for men, this number is only 35%. In fact, 40% of Indian men don’t know how to operate a washing machine. Further, more than half of the men agreed that they don’t do laundry as they never saw their fathers do it. The survey also revealed that seven out of 10 women in India reconsider additional responsibilities at work in order to balance the responsibilities at home. With the belief that mothers have a strong empathetic point of view, Ariel urges this generation of mothers to raise their children as a generation of equals.
With laundry at its centre, Ariel’s new communication shows a mother teaching her son to do wash clothes. Ariel believes in not just raising the issue, but also providing a solution so that we can move the society to a more equal tomorrow. Ariel India wants mothers to raise a whole new generation of sons who know how to #ShareTheLoad. Because when the sons of today become husbands of tomorrow, they should be equipped to share the load.
In 2015, Ariel raised a very relevant question — ‘Is laundry only a woman’s job?’ to draw attention to the uneven distribution of domestic chores. With the 2016 ‘Dads Share The Load’ movement, the conversation was aimed at unearthing the reason for the disparity, which is the cycle of prejudice passed down from one generation to the next.
Sonali Dhawan, Marketing Director, P&G India, and Fabric Care, said, “This year, we reignite conversations to go deeper into the cause of this disparity. In the context of right upbringing, we urge this generation of mothers to be the change-makers for the future, and raise yet another pertinent question — Are we teaching our sons what we have been teaching our daughters? If sharing the load is taught at an impressionable age, it becomes a part of their value system. As a mother of a boy and a girl, I truly believe this is possible. I also believe that with Ariel, it is possible to simplify the lives of consumers and a happier household is one where both men and women share the load. Ariel encourages men to do their bit and take up tasks like laundry because anyone can get impeccable cleaning with Ariel, no matter who does the laundry.”
Josy Paul
Josy Paul, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO, added, “Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad has grown into an active movement for gender equality at home. It has generated greater emotional equity for the brand and has triggered a positive change in society. It is one of India’s most recognised and awarded advertising ideas. WARC ranked it the world’s most effective campaign for 2017 and 2018. We are excited to launch the next phase of the movement. The new campaign is based on an uncomfortable truth that’s so true for today. In the film, the mother’s realisation of an unspoken social conditioning and her determined resolution is thoughtful, sensitive and a big leap for society. Her simple action gives men one more reason to share the load at home.”
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