Indian Talent, Global Content
|
Indian Talent, Global Content |
New and Improved: May 2012
Just Launched - New eStore selling travel guides, editing courses, ebooks and special offers |
Brown and Loving It
A well- known fairness cream brand in India has started a foundation in order to empower women. That is a great goal to have, especially in India where women are still bound by societal constraints in many areas. Or should I say that would be a great goal to have if the aforementioned company didn’t play a part in denting women’s self-esteem simply by dint of its existence! Indeed, what better way to get through to your target demography than to tell them that all their problems in life have in fact, stemmed from their skin colour? And they now have a cure. Hallelujah. As we complete the first decade of this millennia, we’ve seen many trends that have come and gone, brands that have launched and failed and social attitudes that have changed drastically. People no longer blindly accept the norms that have endured for centuries. With constant changes taking place across the globe, Indians have now adapted themselves in order to thrive in the new competitive world. Today, Indians are held in high regard internationally – as entrepreneurs, entertainers, artists, writers, athletes – they have made a global impact and we have a lot to be proud of. However, all the progress and growth that India is witnessing makes its flaws appear starker. While in most other developed countries equality and liberty are encouraged, India still seems caught in a time warp when it comes to skin color. The savviest advertising firms in the nation have toiled long and hard to create the impression that fair skin goes hand in hand with success, happiness and finding true love. In a matter of days or weeks, you can compare your skin to a little color comparison chart that comes with the magic ‘fairness cream’ and see how well you have been transformed. And once you have lightened the color of your skin by a shade or two, all your dreams will come true – all at a fairly cheap cost. It is no wonder then, that in a country where fair is beautiful, the market for fairness creams is huge. However, can one really blame an individual for being swayed by campaigns that hit the bull’s eye in terms of the illusions they promote? They spend millions annually to ensure that their product is perceived exactly the way they want. They are masters at creating illusions that an average television viewer cannot help but succumb to. Also, we have hordes of celebrities who, for a huge sum of money of course, are willing to lead their fans in the right direction. That direction being the fairness creams aisle at the nearest store. Why would celebrities take the time to exploit one of the deepest insecurities many Indians suffer from? They participate in advertisements that show people, men and women alike, miserable – no job, no love, no respect, and no friends. Then they discover a new fairness product that miraculously changes their lives around for the better and suddenly all their dreams come true. They get the dream man/woman, that elusive promotion, people look at them with respect, and their lives are changed. It is surprising that our current crop of actors and actresses and our athletes, who are all well known and well respected in their fields, continue to show no semblance of moral integrity and will stop at nothing, including exploiting the admiration and adoration of their fans, all for a quick buck. Shouldn’t celebrities have some sort of moral code that they hold themselves accountable to? Considering the enormous amount of power and influence they have on the public, shouldn’t they learn to use it with some social responsibility? People see their favorite stars ‘using’ a particular product and are swayed, more often than not, into buying the product. Stop telling your fans they cannot be happy unless they, like your smiling image in the ad, start slapping on that cream faithfully. No one should be told that happiness is out of their reach until their face matches a little piece of paper with colors gradients on it. International brands have also discovered the appeal of fairness products and their ability to drive up sales considerably. With a constantly booming market, why would these brands choose not to be a part of the money-spinning skin lightening creams? Maybe, instead of promoting the idea that fairer skin will get you places dark skin will not, these brands and foundations should try empowering women in ways that keeps their self esteem in tact. There should not be advertisements on television that show a man painting white spots onto a portrait to mask his girlfriend’s facial “flaws” and then once she starts using a particular fairness cream and changes her complexion, he paints an engagement ring on her hand in the painting. Obviously that cannot be good for the girl’s confidence if she can only be proposed to and considered ‘marriage material’ after she changes the color of her skin. With adverts like these taking up a huge chunk of space on every channel, how can people not be influenced? A decade into the 21st century, when people still believe that fair skin equals success and happiness, there is not much that can be said or done. Perhaps the best piece of advice that can be given (and hopefully received), is that if you feel the urge to change your skin color, invest in a swimsuit, pick a sunny location, and get a tan. Brown is indeed beautiful. Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in December, 2009. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
More on Chillibreeze.comRelated links Ads Targeting Women: How Real are They?
Other popular articles on Chillibreeze Microfinance: Giving Credit to the Entrepreneurial poor
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:1. Articles related to Content and Outsourcing
|
Premium Services
Products Must Reads...
Upgrade Your Writing |
Copyright 2004 - 2011 Chillibreeze Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
