Pages

Friday, April 30, 2010

The new Tanishq ad




As a single, working woman, who is of marriageable age, this ad does not appeal to me. It does not make me want to enter a Tanishq showroom and try out the wedding jewellery. It makes me think about the weak character of the girl who plays the daughter. And the near villainous, subtle manipulative character of the mother.

From the way her character is established, the daughter looks like a modern, outgoing girl who has taken over the role of the son in the family. She takes the wheel while her father sits beside her, she talks to the parents in English, she looks like a girl who has a definite plan in her life, who wants things to happen in a certain manner before she can even think about settling down. And suddenly, after trying on the jewels, her resolve and her plans get dissolved into nothingness, just because she thinks she looks beautiful wearing those wedding jewels.

I think it wouldn’t be too much to say that this is absolutely ridiculous.

My opinion is that this ad demeans young independent women. It conveys the message that the modern young woman of today has no mind of her own. She is a feather brained narcissist who has no idea what she wants to do or be.

Why does a modern young woman refuse to get married? There could be several reasons:

a) She is a career driven woman and wants to reach a certain level of success before she eventually marries and settles down.

b) She doesn’t want to give up her freedom.

c) She has so much to do and so doesn’t feel the need of a man’s company.

d) She is not sure if she actually wants to get married and so is biding her time.

Whatever be the reason, it would be safe to conclude that the woman of today is a logical, practical being who thinks in a certain manner with a definite rationale. She is a woman of substance. She makes her plans and sticks to them. If she has plans of not getting married for a certain period of time, she has a very good reason behind it. Just visiting a wedding jewellery shop will not dissolve her resolve. At least that’s what I believe which should be quite enough to establish this fact, because I am a woman of today.

After seeing this ad, I wouldn’t want any young girl, with the prospects of a bright future who would be better off if she married a little later in life, but who happens to be a little gullible, to enter a Tanishq showroom because she might end up marrying the wrong person at the wrong time just because she is enamoured by the jewels.

I know this is a feel good ad and meant to appeal to young girls who are of marriageable age. Or to parents who are planning to get their daughters married.

As a friend rightly put it, perhaps I am not the target audience they are looking at. And whether I like this ad or not doesn't really matter. But as I am entitled to my opinion, I am expressing it here. And my opinion is that this ad does not work. At least not for me!

13 comments:

  1. I totally agree that you're not the target audience and with the kind of men out there, I can understand how you feel. Also the rubbish pressures people put on single people, reallyy very silly. But like I said to a friend about this self same ad, successful women these days need an incentive to marry. Like jewellery , thats what its come to now.
    I like te ad, imagery, music, clever manipulations from a mother who always knows best, Arundhati Nag and of course the eternal truth that women are attracted to pretty things

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Anonymous
    I suppose you are right about the incentive bit! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is over-rated, but most ads are...

    Anyway, marriage is also.

    -v

    ReplyDelete
  4. admirable thoughts!! i agree wid the point you raise here!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hello,just swinging by here and i read this post anyway-as much as i agree with some of your sentiments i think the ad simply talks about this proverbial "block",settle down and pop-out-babies-culture that some people have given it,that isnt completely true.Marriage doesnt have to be a state of perpetual compromise.

    ReplyDelete
  6. @Quietude
    Thank you! :)

    @KD
    Thanks for dropping by. I agree that "marriage doesn't have to be a state of perpetual compromise". :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I liked the ad. I actually liked the music and it just kept ringing in my head all throughout and while searching for the jingle, I bumped onto your blog.
    I agree you have all rights to have an opinion and I do have a right to disagree with you.
    I am outright against the lavishness and show off culture with golden jewelry especially by Indians and specifically in my community where each woman prefers to wear up to a kilogram of ornaments.
    Women are stronger – may it was always the case. But they have multiple facades which cover the true nature of her. One of those could be just being outgoing and just be strong for the family. It takes a lot sometimes to peel the onion and find the true nature. I have seen this happening to many of my friends. They were single handedly taking care of the families (read parents) and standing tall in front of their parents but when they attended someone else’s marriages – I knew what they really wanted. Nothing wrong with that though- but need changes a lot for lot of people.
    Do I have point? Actually NO.
    But I am a man and I am sure I am going to think differently. However I have seen my cousins, wife and my mother enjoying the jewelry - all alone. This unexplainable happiness is something different. I feel the same about my watches. I cannot describe this feeling but I know it exists and it’s all different from thinking about life differently.
    So yes, this ad might be ridiculous in terms of ‘idea’– but very well ‘executed’

    - Ravi

    ReplyDelete
  8. @Ravi
    I think it would be safe for me to say that I agree with the last line in your comment! :) :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. okay this ad is disgusting :P ..... so she commits to a random guy because of jewelery? yeah like she cant wear it otherwise.. i have to say im ashamed that people can say this is normal... i rather be an outcast than see this as mundane.... if i could conduct a lobotomy on these marketing piece of shits i would....

    ReplyDelete
  10. @Vishwajeeth
    Thank you! At last I find someone who understands my disgust! :D :D

    ReplyDelete
  11. I did not find this ad as bad as so many of you believe. In fact, I loved it.

    C'mon! The only thing the ad conveyed is that the girl is willing to *consider* marriage, probably as an after-thought of trying on the jewellery. And we all know the usual penchant (and at times outright preposterous) fancy women have for "dressing up".

    The ad just plays on that insight, and uses it cleverly, I might add.

    You don't have to over-play it so much and make a big deal out of it. Chill.

    ReplyDelete
  12. @Vinitha
    Sorry, but I still find this ad disgusting!

    ReplyDelete

Followers