United Colors of Benetton bets big on 'femvertising'

A look at the brand's new spot titled #UnitedByHalf, which promotes equality of the genders.

'Gender Equality' seems to have grabbed the limelight lately with several brands launching ad campaigns based on women's issues, honouring their courage and empowering them. Joining the bandwagon is United Colors of Benetton (UCB). The global fashion brand has recently released an ad film called '#UnitedByHalf'. While UCB talked about women's safety and well-being in its '#UnitedbyDonts' (a print ad campaign that was launched last year), this time it has taken up 'equality of women' in its latest integrated campaign.

Created by Creativeland Asia, the over-one-minute film takes forward the brand's thought proposition that 'no gender is the better or worse half'. It even talks about why women should be treated as equal to their male counterparts. It encourages women to stand up against the stereotypes and overcome taboos defined by society. The campaign was launched on digital platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, but is running on television as well. It will also be promoted across channels which includes radio, cinema, print, and in stores / malls. Oink Films has produced the film, while Shirsha Guha Thakurta has directed it.

"The '#UnitedByHalf' campaign echoes Benetton's commitment to India as a strategically important market. For the Indian market, we have looked at issues which are contextually relevant to Indian society," informs Sundeep Chugh, chief executive officer and managing director, Benetton India.

"The campaign was conceived around six months ago, and '#UnitedByHalf' was always conceptualised to be very inclusive in its approach. It does not skew its language to speak to only one section of society, both in terms of class and gender. The differentiating factor of the campaign is its appeal to society as a whole and the fact that it celebrates equality. It is not about stating your rights, but about acknowledging each other's presence. It is a mature evolution of what we have done in the past," adds Chugh.

'#UnitedByHalf' is part of UCB's women empowerment programme - Benetton Group's long-term sustainability programme aimed at supporting the empowerment of women worldwide. The brand has been working upon five key priorities for gender equality: sustainable livelihood, non-discrimination and equal opportunities, quality education, access to healthcare and combating violence.

The brand has previously launched '#UnitedByPlay' on August 15, 2016, '#UnitedByHer' which addressed Breast Cancer, '#UnitedByChange' which was launched on January 26, 2017 around the Indian flag and what kids feel about the Tricolour.

"#UnitedByHalf is about women's right to equality when it comes to funds for education, food and nutrition, taking decisions and sharing responsibilities. We wanted to launch the campaign around Valentine's Day because close to, and especially on that day, every communication on any medium celebrates love and relationships. We decided to start a dialogue about what matters most in any relationship - respect, be it between a parent and a child, siblings, partners or colleagues," says Raj Kurup, founder and creative chairman, Creativeland Asia.

Although, UCB has tried to portray itself as a crusader for the cause of women through various initiatives, ad campaigns launched by other brands (national or international) based on woman empowerment have been doing the rounds for quite some time. Vogue's 'Empower' campaign, launched in 2015, featuring Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, had created quite a stir on social media. In the same year, Vodafone India launched 'M-Pesa' campaign to empower women living away from their husbands in the villages of Uttar Pradesh with self-defence umbrellas.

Last year, Nike India, launched an ad film 'Da Da Ding', as part of the 'Nike Just Do It' campaign, featuring women athletes and Padukone, to inspire young women to take up sports. And who can forget Tata Tea's 'Jaago Re' campaign. The tea brand, in one of its ad films 'Choti Shuruaat', featuring Shahrukh Khan, stressed upon the fact that women should have equal opportunity and not be discriminated against, at home or at the workplace.

Making a Statement?

With so many brands releasing ads based on similar themes in the recent past, gender-themed communications may involve the risk of becoming a blind spot for consumers. So we asked the experts 'will this ad film stand out from the rest?'

Piali Dasgupta, creative director, SapientRazorfish, opines that in a country where youth influencers such as Bollywood stars shy away from calling themselves feminists, there can never be enough of gender-themed communication. She says, "With several voices echoing the same message of equal rights for women and hopes for an egalitarian society, the message will hopefully get reinstated. Brands can play a pertinent role in being the carrier of this message."

"The fact that UCB chose to continue the narrative from last year proves their passion for this cause. Additionally, unlike similar campaigns done by FMCG brands such as Ariel and Dove, UCB has attached a clear call to action by asking people to pledge for 'United By Half' via a microsite, and featuring real stories of discrimination shared by women from all stratas of society. This amplifies the impact of the campaign, and makes it more interactive and less passive as compared to the rest of the campaigns in this space," she adds.

According to Pooja Jauhari, CEO, The Glitch, any topic if over exhausted has the risk of becoming a blind spot. She, however, says that gender-based conversations, if tackled well, are always needed.

"There have been many films that we look at and go saying, 'oh not again' or 'enough about this'. What I like about this film is that it didn't talk about giving women everything, but just the equal half. Neither do we need to put men or women on a pedestal nor give any one preferential treatment. This film tackled the issue in a good manner. It exudes strength, and is produced well," Jauhari says.