India is a patriarchal society. Over generations, deep-rooted cultural norms have made housework the sole responsibility of women.

In 2015, Ariel – a leading detergent brand – made gender equality at home its mission. Over 7 years, #ShareTheLoad created a gradual shift as it sparked conversations that nudged men towards taking up housework. In 2021, a World Economic Forum report revealed a shocking truth – at the current pace of change, gender parity is 135 years away.

This means no woman alive will experience gender parity. This startling reality shaped Ariel’s next brief: 1. How do we radically accelerate the pace of change on the issue of gender inequality at home? 2. Moreover, how do we affect a more immediate mindset shift in men to free women from being solely responsible for housework? Our objectives were clear – we needed to trigger a conversation of a scale that would beat our past successes.

Relevance to Indian society: Men don’t see women as equals.

Urban Indian men have shared housework equally in the past, but only with other men or roommates they live with. With their wives, they don’t because of learnt cultural biases. (Ariel’s third-party survey)

Brands & their content perpetuate gender stereotypes. To sell their products, almost all detergent & food commercials in India depict women as the caretaker for her family. Men are almost never shown. (Gender Bias & Inclusion in Advertising in India – UNICEF, 2021)

In India women are conditioned to never challenge their husbands.

Traditionally, the husband is called ‘Pati-Parmeshwar’ (husband-almighty). Even today, 87% of Indians believe a wife must obey her husband (Pew Study, 2022). Challenging him is a distant dream.

In this context, to accelerate the pace of change and drive a sharper mindset shift, Ariel’s ‘See Equal #ShareTheLoad’ is significant for 3 reasons:

1. It takes a defiant stance and a new tone for the country – a significant departure from previous #ShareTheLoad campaigns 2. It challenges the mindset of men and inspires women to break their silence and speak out. 3. Invites collaboration with other brands and content creators and asks them to join Ariel in creating a more equal tomorrow.

See Equal #ShareTheLoad was designed for a rapid shift in mindset, through the power of a billion conversations.

We unearthed a sentiment that no one was talking about which exploded through PR on the face of patriarchy as a woman’s confrontation changed a nation. The wife in our brand film asks her husband “Did you ever see me as your equal?”

Next, 1st time in history of P&G, Ariel changed the name on its packs to hundreds of Indian male names as a silent protest.

In an open letter – a 1st in advertising – brand confessed and urged all content creators, media partners, and advertisers to help change the imagery towards housework.

Campaign generated USD 35 Million+ in “earned media” coverage; 4 Billion Earned Impressions, 1900+ publications across 40 countries, 1.5 Million digital engagements, 115 million views and counting.