Whisper's #TouchThePickle campaign: Declaring the obsoleteness of menstrual taboos

P&G has made a digital plunge paired with a TVC to instill a positive attitude in Indian women about menstruation, seeking to dispel the cultural taboos towards the subject. Campaign encourages women to break any taboos that hold them back during that time of the month

e4m by Ankur Singh
Published: Jul 30, 2014 7:57 AM  | 5 min read
Whisper's #TouchThePickle campaign: Declaring the obsoleteness of menstrual taboos

Taking a step further and breaking the stereotypical communication, Whisper recently rolled out a movement titled #TouchThePickle to try and put an end to period taboos that still haunt many Indian girls and women. While P&G claims that the new advertising campaign brings out the painful truth of our society, many women slam the “touch the pickle” campaign as being “silly” and “outrageous”. They claim that this is not a taboo, but are suggestions backed by scientific facts.
exchange4media finds out what works for the campaign, and what doesn’t.

The movement

The new campaign, called #TouchThePickle began in mid-July with the launch of the online-video and TVC. P&G unveiled an interactive Facebook page for the campaign alongside the videos. The movement is initiated under the brand campaign called ‘Kadam Badhaye Ja.’

The 30-second commercial slams the myths surrounding menstruation by throwing the main light on one of the most ridiculous one of such taboos—‘a menstruating woman should refrain from touching a pickle jar as the pickle could get spoilt'.

This film urges women to break free from these taboos just like the protagonist in the film. The girl in the film touches a jar of pickle nonchalantly while looking for her keys. Her grandmother sees this and brings it to her notice. The girl touches the pickle again, this time purposefully, with a mischievous smile on her face suggesting that she dares to break free from this taboo. In the ensuing shots, the girl breaks one taboo after the other starting with wearing whites, going outdoors and even playing sports during her periods. All this while, she is encouraged by her grandmother and her friends as and when she breaks every one of these taboos.

Digital buzz

The TVC has got over 1,555,678 views since its release. The video was shared on the brand’s You Go Girl page, and has received over 24,616 likes and 704 shares.

The page has been buzzing all this while, and has become a platform for period taboo discussions. Here are some excerpts:

“This is silly. Did you know that this is not a taboo? The idea was that girls during their periods should avoid eating acidic, spicy food…or preserved food. It should be fresh which is better for that time when your body is going through a tough time. That's all… It got translated to a taboo. Everything that Indian households believe in has scientific backing,” said one viewer on Facebook.

To this the brand responded by saying, “You rightly pointed out that this had a scientific reason. Alas, it got passed on as a taboo, which is highly unfair. We want to put an end to all such taboos. Join us and let’s break free from #PeriodTaboos!”

Brand approach

P&G has made a digital plunge in an effort to instill a positive attitude in young Indian women about periods, seeking to dispel some of the cultural taboos toward the subject that persists in much of the country. In doing so, it hopes to win the loyalty of a new generation of customers for Whisper.

In recent years, P&G has adopted a more direct approach to marketing its global female hygiene brands, Always and Tampax, seeking a bigger piece of a worldwide market.

“Through this campaign and keeping in consonance with their commitment of touching and improving lives, P&G India's Brand Whisper has launched this social initiative to empower women to break ancient period taboos and achieve their aspirations in life,” a P&G statement said.

The myths

According to the myth, the belief is that a woman who is menstruating, is impure and anything she touches becomes dirty, unholy, impure or unpalatable. Myths like menstruating women should not enter places of worship, or the kitchen are still believed and practised in Indian homes. Literacy has contributed a little in breaking such stereotypes over the years, but it still needs to reach and influence a large population that hold women back based on these myths.

Recently, a survey initiated by IPSOS for understanding the ‘Taboos associated with menstruation in India’ revealed that amongst the urban women in India 59 per cent still don’t touch the pickle and 52 per cent of them do not prefer to venture out of their homes, during their periods.

Expert speak

When asked about the success of the campaign in terms of spreading the “right” message, Komal Bedi Sohal, Chief Creative Officer, Rediffusion Y&R, said, “I think these are great. Whisper has taken the first step towards breaking the stereotypical communication in the category. It's easy to slam these ads but such taboos still exist in India. The fact that they've gone all-out and tackled such a sensitive topic is really commendable. However, I think to really make an impact and reach the masses it's aimed at, this communication should be vernacular. Those who still subscribe to these beliefs might miss the message altogether.”

“Knowing how regressive India can get, especially in matters pertaining to women, any campaign that tackles taboos and topics we normally brush under the rug is welcome,” she added.

India, as a nation, is divided into many mindsets. While some believe in moving forward, there are still a few things that are holding us back. Whisper’s campaign surely brings out this truth of our society. Whether the brand is able to bridge this gap or not is yet to be seen.

You can watch the ad here:

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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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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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'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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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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