March 8, commonly known as International Women’s Day, has over time gained the stature of being a day not just for celebrating women and the varied roles that these females play in the lives of many but also as a day to bring about a refreshing change albeit in terms of women empowerment, gender equality, etc.
That being said, this year has been no different as brands from across categories have come up with moment marketing campaigns on the day and challenged the various patriarchies and stereotypes that one faces in everyday life.
Not only this, various brands also kickstarted several campaigns and even launched new products to go beyond faff in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and bring about a real change when it comes to the lives and struggles of women and knit the threads of equality, empathy, etc.
Harpic Loocator
Harpic, the lavatory care brand has announced the launch of an innovative app-based solution ‘Harpic Loocator’ to empower everybody and most importantly women and address the underlying problem of finding public toilets on-the-go.
To initiate conversations around this unvoiced matter, the brand has also released ‘#BeFreeToPee’ campaign. Conceptualised by tgthr, the film highlights the lifestyle compromises made by women due to lack of knowledge and accessibility of public toilets, while they are on the move. The app also enables users to rate the toilets based on amenities, like water, soap, tissue paper, cleanliness, and lighting.
Goibibo
Commemorating Women’s Day 2024 with the launch of a digital film titled #BreakTheCage, Goibibo gave a powerful call to action for women, reminding them to take charge, break free, and smash through the everyday barriers of permission, expectation, and control.
Often, women pick their battles and forgo their agency for smaller issues in order to fight for causes that are more dominant in their lives. Goibibo uses the travel context and the metaphorical ‘cage’ as a real prop to illustrate a few of these – including choice of clothes on a beach, the idea of solo travel and so on. The brand champions the spirit of empowerment and liberation, encouraging women to embrace their freedom and un-condition themselves from these societal limitations that are anything but banal.
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MakeMyTrip
Paying an ode to the resilience, achievements, and profound impact of women at every stage of one’s journey while making a compelling appeal to include their voices at every step of the way, the travel major has come up with a digital film which focuses on the contribution of women.
Using the national flag as a key motif, the film illuminates the journey from the creation of our National Flag to its ascent to new heights, led by the proud women of India, the film spotlights the all-women team of artisans in Hubli, Karnataka, who oversee the only unit in India authorized to officially manufacture and supply the Indian national flag. The film then transitions to feature extraordinary Indian female mountaineers who are breaking records and proudly unfurling the flag at various summits.
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Prega News
Prega News, the pregnancy test kit brand from Mankind Pharma,also took to celebrating working mothers with an interactive billboard in Cyber Hub, Gurugram, as part of their overarching #SheCanCarryBoth campaign which pays tribute to the strength and selflessness of womanhood.
The #SheCanCarryBoth campaign was launched by the brand in the lead up to International Women’s Day 2024 to celebrate women effortlessly juggling personal and professional duties and hence the video depicts Pooja Gor as Meenal, a dedicated teacher determined to provide extra classes to weaker students, despite being heavily pregnant herself.
Luminous Power Technologies
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Luminous Power Technologies has launched the second edition of their #WomenInEnergy campaign. The film, narrated from a child’s point of view, beautifully captures the stereotypes and biases prevalent in society and aims to bridge the gender gap in the energy sector whilst challenging the existing gender stereotypes and biases while empowering generations to come.
The film conceptualised by Grey Group highlights the day-to-day household chores that are associated with only female family members. Featuring a young boy observing chores around the terrace, the film beautifully unfolds them as being done by other family members, while the mother is revealed as a solar technician under the Luminous training program. Known for its innovative energy solutions, the brand sends out a special message by shattering the perceived bias.
Dabur Vatika
This International Women’s Day, Dabur Vatika, a Natural Hair Care brand from the House of Dabur, also took a stand for women empowerment and gender equality in their latest campaign, #WomenofSubstance. The ad film conceptualised and brought to life by Green Chutney Films, features the female workforce of Dabur and authentically captures them in their element at work.
Opening with Chemma Chekka, an old Telugu nursery rhyme, the film meaningfully plays with the contrast between the lyrics representing the archaic societal narratives and its visuals depicting the women defying them. It also captures the women in action – operating heavy machinery, inspecting, and handling products meticulously, while also engaging in lively conversations, games and playful interactions with each other throughout the day.
BIBA
On the occasion of Women’s Day, BIBA, unveiled its digital campaign titled “Strength Meets Style,” which is centred around celebrating women of India and also featured Indian cricketer Renuka Singh Thakur. The campaign aims to shatter stereotypes modern Indian women face and offer a refreshing perspective that transcends age-old cliches.
Premiered around International Women’s Day, this film draws inspiration from real-life experiences to deliver a raw and relatable portrayal of societal expectations placed upon women, juxtaposing them with Thakur’s authentic journey that defies those limitations. This film is not just about her struggles and successes, but shows how BIBA supports diversity and changes the way people see women.
Mahindra Rise
Recognising the fact that many a times people tend to inspire others without even realising it and the joy it brings to one when somebody acknowledges it, Mahindra Thar has paid a heartfelt tribute to women this women’s day via their digital film.
Opening up with short clippings of Mahindra’s own working females and others from the larger Mahindra community be it in the domains of technology, farming, music, finance and more, the ad film showcases how women have been making strides in varied roles.
Having showcased the stories of 7 different women, the film ends leaving the viewers with one simple thought- ‘Doing what we do with all our hearts is nothing out of the ordinary, but it can start something extraordinary!’
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Naukri.com
This Women’s Day, at Naukri, the primary focus was on empowering women to cultivate enduring careers and therefore, the Infoedge’s company launched an online event called WOW, designed to empower women on two crucial levels. Firstly, by aiding them in identifying companies conducive to their long-term growth. Secondly, by providing them with the necessary resources to craft stellar careers.
Alongside this, the company also launched a microsite- Women@Work wherein the platform curated a list of jobs that preferred and valued women candidate as well as a slew of social media posts which highlighted as to what is a career oriented women and what do they want in today’s day and age.
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EatSure
Taking the informative route, EatSure also came up with a slew of social media posts on the occasion of International Women’s day wherein the company gave a shoutout to some of the women who discovered the things that we today use the most but fail to remember who actually had made it in the first place.
Starting from the paper bag, to pizza saver, to dishwasher, to disposable coffee filter and choco chip cookies, amongst others, the post throws light on to some of the women who had been getting things done since the beginning of time, but never gained the spotlight.
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