‘The Visit’ ad for Myntra takes society head on.
By Dileep Thekkethil
BENGALURU: Indian society has a long way to go before words such as “gay” and “lesbian” is acceptable, without a frown.
Taking this transformational movement forward comes the country’s first ever advertisement that features a lesbian couple who wants to take their relationship to the next level with the support of their families.
The advertisement titled “The Visit”, featuring two lesbian couple preparing to meet parents for a wedding, has turned viral on social media. The ad, made for an ethnic wear collection for the fashion website Myntra, has already received 200,000 hits in 10 days.
Avishek Ghosh, co-partner of Hectic Content, the production house that made the film, said, “We tried to avoid the stereotypes associated with gay people. There was no one woman looking more masculine or feminine in the film. We tried to give it a candid feel like it is any other couple being apprehensive about meeting the parents.”
The ad, and other such subsequent ones, could trigger a change in the mind-set of folks who look disdainfully at same-sex relationships and pave the way for more discussions about it in society and within the family members who see the ad.
Manish Aggarwal, VP (marketing) at Myntra Fashion, which is promoting the ad, said “The ad has got 3 million views across social media like Facebook, YouTube etc.”
Ashok Row Kavi, an LGBT rights activist was quoted by The Times of India, saying, “This is a bold statement. Lesbians around the world have been in the news, they are getting married and fighting for their rights. This is what society sees, same-sex couples living happily, and there is a huge audience that accepts this.”
Earlier, the jewelry brand Tanishq had come up with an unorthodox ad that featured the remarriage ceremony of a woman of dark complexion.
The new trends in advertisement industry in India suggest that the industry is going through a transitional stage and such bold steps of the creative departments are commendable.