Could it be that our #creative agencies and our educated corporate workforce is crushed under the white man’s burden?

Most cultural ads are preachy. Only to one segment of the society. As if non-Hindu men all load washing machines; non-Hindu women are not after fair skin.

Non-Hindu men and mothers in law are perfect partners when maids are not around, kids’ tantrums need handling. Also non-Hindu people are paragons of love, great ideas and simplicity.

And how #Hindus need to make space for others be it #Holi, #Diwali, etc.

There are 2 things to get from advertisements: 1) actual sales 2) brand value.

For actual sales, look at ads for pizzas, fair skin creams, appliances - celebrate part of culture that is easily monetised

The brand value equation gets interesting. Here, you need to look into that part of the culture that is not easily monetised.

Traditions, perceptions, social mores... all those things that ‘influence’ #behaviour, and not just buying behaviour. It’s more than that.

This is where you have a chance to influence a wider circle - a whole family, say, rather than just enticing an individual to order a pizza.

Think all products that aren’t catering to a pronounced “need”.

Shoes. Soaps. Razors. Cold drinks. Jewellery.

Here, you need to stand out. Go where no one else has gone. Take a stand. Provoke.

If you succeed, . If you don’t and there’s a backlash, you still get talked about. And you anyhow reach the right audience. In fact, you get the spoils of a martyr.

What happens then?

Your target audience, if they were a small crowd, now they become your staunch advocates.

You just made an idea real. Remember Nike’s Kaepernick campaign? It’s stock actually rose.

The campaign becomes a success. That’s #advertising.