Advertisements are art, a space where the beauty of ingeniousness and psychology meets. An artwork that leaves a mark in our minds and can inexplicably touch our hearts. An advertisement goes deeper than just a persuasion; it has more purpose than just what meets the eye. Advertisements don’t just sell products but also values, love, friendships, and emotions. It is not easy to create mere few seconds videos that have the potential to cause an impact as vigorous as a 2-hour long movie. It is easier with movies as they provide you with the liberty of time- time to make your audience dwell on the plot, the characters, and the aesthetics. On the contrary, with advertisements, the creator is supposed to create an impact with the same intensity in just a few seconds. Engendering an impactful ad is an art; art that can profoundly impact its viewers.

They say "Walk the Talk," and it is indeed more challenging to follow it than actually say it, especially when your message is “Do Nothing”. Yes, we are talking about the recently launched ingenious 5-star ad Campaign. How do you do nothing and still do a lot simultaneously? Oxymoronic right? And difficult too, but not for 5 Star. The brand has changed its logo to 5 Stars, so the next time you rate any product on any website, you will see the logo and be reminded of...yes..'5 Star'. Smart right? So, you’ll see it everywhere and money spent on the campaign. Again, almost zero.

Television commercials and Ads, in general, affect all of us, consciously and unconsciously, throughout our lives, perhaps one of the most potent educational forces. But what kind of an impact is this having on us? Is it always positive? What are we learning from these messages? On the most obvious level are the stereotypes.

Is it a world of myths we are creating? Beauty stereotypes, for example. Millions of dollars are spent every hour on cosmetics to meet an ideal, fake standard. But the world is noticing yet another beautiful change, a gradual yet effective change. Fenty's 40 different foundation shades in 2017 sparked a shift in the industry. Beauty inclusivity and diversity are a priority now. People are now more attracted towards such beauty brands. Companies now are more about promoting inspiration and empowerment than impossible aspirations. Dove, Re’equil, Juicy Chemistry, Dr Sheth’s, Forest Essentials, and Conscious Chemist are one of the many Indian beauty brands that are redefining the wellness and beauty industry.

Let’s talk about a few homegrown Indian inclusive beauty brands:

Sugar Cosmetics

Sugar has grown at an impressive rate since the very beginning. Their foundation range with 22 shades is all about the Indian natural skin tones and results from honest customer feedback. Their digital campaign #MySkinMyChoice won the hearts of many, where women shared their experiences of being criticized due to their skin colour. The campaign's motive is to tell that women are proud of whatever skin tone they have, and they own it, and no one has the power to take that away from them.

Fae Beauty

Perfection is subjective. Fae beauty stands out by featuring women with vitiligo promoting their products. This is both inclusive and humanitarian.

Disguise Cosmetics

The brand created a buzz when all its advertisements featured filterless models with zero retouches.

The world is changing, and so is the creative industry. More and more brands are now selling more than just their product and breaking barriers by delivering powerful messages. Some of the world’s brilliant, creative minds have spent endless hours creating inspiring, entertaining, and impactful ads.

Ariel: #ShareTheLoad

The campaign talks about how daily chores are not just the responsibility of women. It spreads awareness that we should raise boys to help with domestic chores like girls.

Lenovo: #GiftThemBelief

The world is all about being the best and proving it to everyone throughout our lives. In this tedious competition, children often lose their innocence and childhood. There is more to life. This initiative by Lenovo encourages all parents to believe in their children and appreciate their achievements- big or small.

Vogue India

The ad starts with how boys often heard phrases like “Boys don’t cry” or “Don’t cry like a Girl”. The ad addresses the serious issue of domestic violence. Towards the end, narrator Madhuri Dixit says that while we always teach boys not to cry, it's time to teach girls not to cry.

Millennials are now more into bringing changes into this world, and brands that promise this are the ones that are doing well. The new generation is asking for good deeds, a good message and relatability with a clean, powerful brand and its product. Modern advertising shapes our world in many ways, and we are inundated with it. Standing out in the midst of all clutter is what an effective advertiser needs to do A deep-rooted constituent of our establishment that a world without it is strange.

About the author,

    Saisha Ayachit

A student from the batch of 2022-24. Talks about the importance and impact of advertising.