INDIA — Five years ago, conceptualized by BBDO India, detergent brand Ariel India launched the #ShareTheLoad movement to address the inequality that exists within Indian households, by asking a provocative question: Is laundry a woman’s job?
When the campaign launched in 2015, 79 percent of men believed that laundry was a woman’s job. That number has steadily declined, with the figure today standing at 41 percent.
But with most families under lockdown, the burden on the women of the house has seen an unprecedented increase. Just days before the lockdown in India, Ariel launched a video entitled, “Share the load for equal sleep.”
Watch the video:
According to P&G Ariel India’s research, 71 percent of women in India sleep less than their husbands due to household chores.
This film lends itself to reality in most households during the lockdown period, where women are not just working from home, but working for home as well.
“This year, ‘#ShareTheLoad for equal sleep’ seeks to give us one more compelling reason to start sharing the load. Uneven division of household chores is getting in the way of women getting adequate sleep and rest, and hence the conversation this year is about bringing this to light to enable conversation,” said Sharat Verma, CMO, P&G India and Head, Fabric Care Indian Subcontinent.
“Share the Load has become more than just a campaign, it is a commitment. With an attempt to take the message wider and deeper each year, reaching out to more people and unearthing more cultural truths. And along with every new insight, the brand also incites action beyond the communication. What’s heartening is that a movement created to make a shift in mindset has now become a part of culture,” said Hemant Shingy, chief creative officer, BBDO Mumbai.
