MUMBAI, INDIA — MarTech company Wondrlab has launched an Independence Day campaign for online matrimony service BharatMartimony with a targeted message. The insight for the campaign came from various studies which state that nearly three out of every four Indian women do not have a say in who they marry. For a women-first brand that is committed to women’s choice, this is a very important issue. This data was the seed that transformed into an ingenious mall activation that became a conversation starter across social media platforms.
The activation showcases three brides walking through the mall, drawing the attention of the mall-goers and eliciting confused, surprised and amused reactions. Then they take to the stage amidst the fanfare of dhol, nagada and shehnai in front of a huge screen displaying a beautiful visual of a mandap. One by one, the brides then proceed to cover their eyes, mouth, and ears. While the audience is surprised by this act, the screen behind the brides convey the message “Even after 75 years of Independence, nearly three out of four Indian women are not free to see, talk or hear about their life partner, before marriage.”
The message concluded with a call to action: Let’s change this. Let’s help them #BeChoosy.
This activation was followed by interviews of the people in attendance where some shared their surprise at the statistics while others talked about their experiences. Everyone agreed that we must work towards changing this mindset and that both men and women should be free to choose their life partner.
This social experiment and the various reactions to it were captured on camera and made into a film which was circulated on social media platforms asking people to be the voice of change because “Only when every woman in India is free to choose her life partner, will it truly be a Happy Independence Day.”
This film was also shared by social first pages like SheThePeople and portals like MadOverMarketing, making it a viral conversation starter.
This experiment is a part of BharatMatrimony’s larger communication narrative, #BeChoosy, which encourages women to exercise their right in choosing their life partner.
Amit Akali, Co-Founder and CCO, Wondrlab said, “It is not easy to let go of long-held beliefs and practices, but only when we do that can we make a real change. On our 75th Independence Day, when we did research, we realized that a large percentage of women in India, yet don’t get to even see, meet, or talk to their future life partner, let alone the right to choose them. How could they ever have a happy Independence Day, until this changes. Hence, this statistic became a starting point for our creatives. In true Wondrlab style, we’ve created an integrated solution — a social experiment, a mall activation, that was then made into a film, that will hopefully, through PR and social media platforms, start a positive conversation.”
Talking about the social experiment, Arjun Bhatia, Chief Marketing Officer – Matrimony.com explained why brand BharatMatrimony was taking this issue head on, “Despite 75 years of Independence, majority of Indian women have almost no right in choosing their husband. We wanted to turn the spotlight on the social bias against women as we felt true Independence means our women must have the right to choose. For years, we have championed the cause of women’s issues and are a brand that empowers women when it comes to crucial decisions in life. This social experiment was in continuation of our narrative, and I am glad it made people sit-up and take notice of this bias against women which simply goes unnoticed.”
BharatMatrimony, India’s biggest matrimony service, has always been the custodian of women’s choice in marriage.
