BackRed Label breaks transgender stereotypes in new campaign
The campaign is being promoted across television and digital platformsBrooke Bond Red Label has been weaving socially relevant advertising since 2014
PremiumNEW DELHI: Known for inclusive advertising, Hindustan Unilever-owned tea brand Brooke Bond Red Label is back with a new campaign around the transgender community. Through its long-running Swad Apnepan Ka campaign, Brooke Bond Red Label's new ad spot highlights the prejudice faced by transgenders and shows how a cup of tea helps overcome prejudice.
Created by advertising agency Ogilvy India, the heartwarming film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwmoiCUZPE features a visibly irritated grandmother with her young granddaughter stuck at a traffic jam on a rainy day. Her attention is diverted as a transgender knocks on the cab’s window pane. She opens the window to handover money but to her surprise the transgender offers her a steaming cup of tea from her tea stall. Overwhelmed by the thoughtful gesture, the grandmother ends up offering blessings.
“Under this long running campaign, we have told many heart-warming stories of how a tasty cup of Brooke Bond Red Label tea helps people find common ground, irrespective of any differences that they may have. This particular story highlights how tea turns prejudice into acceptance. We have all been guilty of letting stereotypes come in the way of a more inclusive society," said Shiva Krishnamurthy, vice-president, tea and foods, Hindustan Unilever Limited.
The campaign is being promoted across television and digital platforms. Brooke Bond Red Label has been weaving socially relevant advertising since 2014 when its 'Neighbour' ad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQuddKFhfFA was released which touched upon an oft-repeated yet sensitive theme—the Hindu-Muslim divide in India.
However, the biggest gamble as well as an equally rewarding decision by the brand was creating a campaign on transgender community. Its Six Pack Band video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blvOBnSRfVc released in 2016 on India’s first transgender band, not only stood out for its theme of inclusivity but also managed to bag the highest creative recognition in the ad world, the Cannes Grand Prix last year.
Kainaz Karmakar and Harshad Rajadhyaksha, chief creative officers, Ogilvy India, said when one works on the same core idea, year after year, the work can get jaded.
“So you have to be harder on yourself. You have to make sure the story is powerful, relevant and executed beautifully. For the current campaign, the client brief was, most of us believe we are socially evolved but when confronted with some situations, we regress to making judgment too quickly. One such instance is, when we come face to face with a transgender. All our conditioning kicks in, even before we have said ‘hello’. With this in mind, we started writing stories," they added
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