17. Vicks: Generations of Care #TouchofCare

 

Advertising is a type of a communication artefact that persuades people to take a particular action. Ad Campaigns on the other hand are an important marketing strategy that revolves around a single message. The goal of an ad-campaign is mainly to generate brand awareness and profits. In this blog, I shall be analysing one such ad campaign, namely the Vicks India: Generations of Care for the #TouchofCare campaign (2017). The ad opens with Gayatri’s monologue where she is narrating her story. She recounts how she never had a father, and hardly had any memories with her biological mother. After she lost her mother to a life-threatening disease, she was sent away to an orphanage, where she met her adoptive mother Gauri Sawant. Throughout the years, Gauri helps her get through tough times and sickness, surpassing the mother-daughter bond into friendship. The video had an element of surprise towards the end. It is only then that her adoptive mother is revealed as a transgender woman. Gayatri also describes the troubles and hardships Gauri had to face (beginning at the early age of 18 when she was thrown out of her house). The ad-film ends with Gayatri vowing to become a lawyer to ensure equal rights for her mother. The ad-film was created by Publicis Singapore, advertised by Procter & Gamble and contributed by MSL India for the brand “Vicks”. The ad-film was directed by Neeraj Gheywan and produced by Deepa Limaye for the production house SeeOn, Mumbai. The ad-film went viral within 24 hours of launch on social media (with 10 million views on Youtube), with no paid media support. It has been estimated that PR alone generated over 4 million views. The video continues to be shared on social media more than 2 years after it was released.

The reason why Vicks chose this campaign is manifold. Over the years, Vicks have become an iconic brand, a brand closely associated with maternal care. It has been a symbol of trust and care for generations and has been the go-to medicine for mild fevers, cold and cough. In a way, Vicks wanted to subvert its classic image which had been in existence since the last 50 years, the image of a heteronormative mother applying medicine to her child. It built on the idea that brands should change as per time, widen their scope and show inclusivity. The objective was perhaps to break the shackles of a typical or ideal family by going beyond product promotion, defying conventional marketing logic. The intended objective was to redefine what ‘family’ is in a modern society and give it a contemporary meaning. It wanted to forge an emotional attachment with the brand and in doing so wanted to start a dialogue with regards to a transgender woman and the idea of a typical family.

The message that was passed on was the idea of inclusivity, that a mother’s love is the most universal of all emotions and that love is thicker than blood and everyone deserves the touch of care. It stressed the brand’s belief that everyone has a right to family, even a transgender woman. The idea of a transgender person taking care of a child is an unlikely mother and daughter relationship. The ad was successful in transcending the barriers related to motherhood. One of the best aspects of the message was that it was presented in a manner, which showed dignity and empathy towards Gauri and Gayatri. It championed the cause of the transgender community and their right to a family. Against all odds, Gauri Sawant is raising Gayatri as her own with love and compassion, gracefully carrying the entity of motherhood. Also, the fact that Gauri Sawant was part of the ad-film makes the video even more genuine.

The media used to share this message is a fair mix of new age media, social and online. The ad-film is a great example of great storytelling on digital media. The motive behind using social and online media is because it has a wider reach, especially among the millennials, which is the target audience. Online campaigns in this regard are highly powerful because online activity is measurable. I agree with this choice because the brand wanted to relate to the new age millennials, who would like to take up this cause, and social media is the right way to do that. The target audience of the message is a mother in a traditional household. More so, the targeted audience could also be millennials. This ad intended to create a dialogue about a transgender woman, about how they deserve the same respect and dignity as any other human being. Based on my understanding of the audience, I believe the ad-film has been successful in creating an environment of positivity and understanding in a fast-changing world. The mothers and millennials today are more aware of social issues than ever before. In doing so they are more vocal about them. But again, the issue of transgenders in India is one which is the least discussed and this community is still considered a social stigma. Homosexuality is still considered as a taboo and is not a dining table discussion. The idea is to create a new perception of them.

The message crafted in the video syncs in with the cultural context in which it was produced. The ad raised the issue of discrimination against the LGBT community. Very often, this community is portrayed in a negative light in the media. The video is a part of a wider cause to the growing sensitivity as to how they are portrayed on screen. The portrayal of a transgender woman as a mother is indeed heartwarming and can take the step a little further. The challenges Gauri Sawant faces from the rest of the society is touched upon. The ad-film subtly brings to the forefront the fact that Gauri sends off her daughter to keep her from witnessing the atrocities she is forced to face every day.

The mainstream media trivializes the issue of the LGBT community, but at the same time, mainstream brands such as Vicks can take action for the community at large. The advantage of this is that these mainstream brands have the power to reach a large audience. Traditional brands may give it a miss, in fear of alienating the main target audience. Associating with any cause is a long term commitment. There will be people who will like or dislike or be indifferent to the video, but how many mainstream brands are willing to take a risk? Thus we can say that Vicks took a bold and progressive step. Vicks believes that every child deserves the #touchofcare, especially children who have been orphaned. By glorifying the transformative power of care, it leads the idea that “Family is Where Care Is”. It questions our understanding of motherhood and what constitutes a family. By making the video simple and endearing, the ad-film is being able to say a lot. It is successful in making a very strong statement for the transgenders community.