MUMBAI, INDIA — The London-based international D&AD Awards announced the winning works at the award ceremony on May 22, 2024. The White Pencil at D&AD represents the best of the best and is reserved for exceptional and game-changing projects that have resulted in significant impact. This year’s win continues to highlight the impact of Ariel‘s #ShareTheLoad over time, a campaign with BBDO India.
#ShareTheLoad is a long-running movement against unequal distribution of household chores, that started back in 2015 with a pertinent question, “Is Laundry only a woman’s job?” After nine years, the campaign continues to sustain by uncovering new hidden truths, urging more and more men to #ShareTheLoad.
Every edition explored different perspectives to bring out cultural truths of gender inequality observed in every home, nudging men to share housework. Each campaign built Ariel’s business and metrics in a highly competitive laundry market, bringing down the number of men who think laundry is only a woman’s job drastically.
In 2023, the agency partner BBDO India shifted its focus to how consequences of not sharing the load could look over time giving birth to “See The Signs of Silent Separation.” The insight was founded on the finding that women start withdrawing silently from relationships over time because of unequal sharing of household chores.
Thus, the campaign sought to make men realize that this unequal sharing of load is negatively impacting their relationship over time. Thus the idea of “See The Signs of Silent Separation” came to life, underlining how this practice hurts relationships in the long run.
Speaking about the campaign’s impact and its win at D&AD, Josy Paul, Chairperson and CCO of BBDO India, said, “We are thrilled to receive the White Pencil for our long running campaign for Ariel. The White Pencil recognizes exceptional projects that use the power of creativity to drive behavioral, environmental, societal or policy change. We owe everything, including this significant worldwide recognition, to the our enlightened team at P&G India, and to all our partners who’ve been part of this amazing journey.”
He continued, “#ShareTheLoad is not just an advertising campaign; it’s a silent revolution that’s changing the way Indian society perceives household chores between couples. Each year we uncover a hidden truth. Our deep listening process, in collaboration with the team at P&G Ariel, helps us sense the mood of the nation, the home, and the individual. The impact can be seen on brand and society.”
