India’s Tanishq Ad: A Rare Jewel

Image via wikimedia

Sometimes advertising seems pointless, doesn’t it?

There are plenty of mediocre, unmemorable advertisements out there (‘non-sticky’, if you will).  There are some advertisements that arguably do more harm than good. But then sometimes, there are advertisements that break through the static and make a daring statement.

Image via flickr

Tanishq jewelry in India did just that.

The jewelry company recently released an advertisement that has generated a lot of discussion and praise on social media. The advertisement features a beautiful bride getting ready on her wedding day. She plays and giggles with a little girl, who we later discover is her daughter. As the advertisement unfolds, the viewer realizes that this is the second marriage for this bride– a largely taboo topic in Indian society. In addition to showing an otherwise fairly invisible scene in Indian media, the advertisement features a relatively “dusky” actress by Bollywood standards.

Screenshot via YouTube

But despite these ‘undesirable’ qualities, here she is: happy and loved.

Screenshot via YouTube

The advertisement has been met with a lot of positive response, including filmmakers, designers, and members of India’s parliament. However, some criticized the jewelry company for having double standards (they also recently released an app that details ‘patriarchal’ rituals and practices for traditional marriages) or for trying to be a societal “moral compass.”

The advertisement creative director, however, claims that they didn’t want to come across too strong and “didn’t want to make it look like we were trying to make a point.” It appears a point has been made, however. And the people (mostly) like it.

What do you think of this ad? Can you think of any recent advertisements in the US or other countries that have made daring statements on society? Do you think it’s out of place for advertisers to do so?

Personally, I find the ad beautiful and artfully done. I hope to see more advertisements like this one in the future.