Twitter debate heats up over Airtel's Boss ad: Did Airtel go overboard this time?
The new Airtel ad is being piped as "demoralising" and "sexist" and has stirred up a slew of opinions on social networking sites. The ad portrays the effort of a strong female

With Indians growing vocal about almost everything on social media, the web is abuzz with strong opinions surrounding Airtel’s new ad—The Boss. Strongly worded comments on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are a jumble of progressive and regressive views.
The TVC begins with a resolute female boss ordering two male colleagues to get an assignment done, with one of them protesting its feasibility. The boss, however, asks them to manage. Later in the evening only one man is seen working over-time. He receives a call from his wife—the boss being the wife. The ad portrays the effort of a strong female boss at work on one hand, and a caring wife who wishes to spend the evening with her husband. She, in turn, ends up cooking a scrumptious meal for the husband while he slogs at work.
Watch the video here:
With that image, the ad tries to speak to young working couples who find it hard to find time for each other on account of hectic careers. However, that’s not how the Internet is taking it. The ad has turned quite a few eyes, in fact “rolled” many of them. It has stirred outrage on the Internet.
Here are a few excerpts:
That’s about the social network. Here’s what experts have to say about the hype created over the ad:
Nima Namchu, Chief Creative Officer, Cheil India said, “Considering there wouldn't be a sizeable number of couples who work in the same organisation with similar reporting structure and the fact that the plot is a trifle too contrived, I don't think too many people are going to connect with it. But then again, there's bound to be quite a few who will find this rather rare and awkward professional/personal arrangement quite novel and romantic.”
I don't get why all this hullaballoo about a woman who cooks something special for a partner who's working late. I just see one partner reaching home early and cooking dinner. If you noticed, they didn't have help. Having said that, the agency is probably wishing they had reversed the roles of the couple. I am sure all the outraged feminists would have been cool with that.”
Sambit Mohanty, Creative Head, DDB Mudra North said, “I wouldn't go so far as branding this film of 'promoting regressive values'. It's a situation that has unfortunately boomeranged with its portrayal of a woman who, despite being professionally successful, still cooks for her husband. There are far more regressive issues concerning women in our country e.g. child marriage and honour killings and we'd be better off discussing and finding solutions for those. It's relatable as far as a young working couple is concerned, but the relatability ends there. I feel it's a very contrived situation – no couple in their right minds would ever inhabit the same workplace, unless they want to split! It's evoking 'sexist' accusations since it shows the lady being the boss in the workplace yet having to cook at home to please dear hubby.
In a way it is stereotyping working women, by depicting that no matter how far they move up the corporate ladder they'll be doing the household chores at home – and cooking is part of that. Look at it this way, would we ever show a man lovingly cooking a meal for his wife who's having a late night at work?
Personally I didn't like it as I felt it was way too predictable…you don't have to wait till the end of the film to know the boss is also the wife. I don't think it connects emotionally and so its likeability is suspect. That said, the outrage on twitter is a storm in a tea-cup that's bound to subside – so the creators of the ad need not get sleepless nights over it.”
According to Suresh Eriyat, Founder and Creative Director, Eeksaurus, “The film is surely a well made one, but as an idea I think it is mediocre. When around the world, global brands are doing such amazing innovative communication, we are playing 'hide and seek' here in our films. Powerful advertisers like Airtel which is a global brand too, need to look at using advertising as a way to touch people's lives and change it for the better. I feel it is regressive to accept such ideas and despite that I know millions in India would still be loving this film.”
All said, one ad, regardless of the brand or the product, has created a national debate and social media has provided the platform for varied opinions.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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