With their iconic #ShareTheLoad campaign, Ariel has led the conversation on equality within households and has created behaviour changing conversations year after year.
In a riveting ad film this year, Ariel asks a very significant question – Why is it easier for men to divide household chores with each other, but not with their wives?
Look at the examples around you, and you will probably observe that the men in your family and your friends did their share of household chores when they were staying with other men. But what suddenly changed when they got married? Why did they stop doing the same chores they were comfortable doing earlier? The new film by Ariel encourages men to introspect how years of unconscious biases have resulted in them not even recognizing the inequality in their own household.
Ariel is urging men to be equal partners by doing their share of household chores. A behavioural change is possible only if men start recognizing their spouses as equals. As the brand highlights in the campaign:
“When you See Equal, you Share Equal”
Yes, some of these prejudices have passed down from one generation to another and are difficult to shake. But the campaign has been successful in making a difference each time they have highlighted an issue, and we are certain they will this time too.
The fact that the film portrays a character who realised his own ignorance and embraces change in itself is a push towards encouraging a shift in mindset. We need examples to learn from, and the brand provides a starting point in the campaign itself.
‘Share The Load’ has grown over the last seven years, not just in terms of the impact it has managed to create but also in terms of the tonality their campaigns imbibe. For the first time, a woman’s POV is shown, reflecting the sense of dissatisfaction and frustration women have when it comes to household equality.
Conversations like these are imperative to move closer and closer to gender parity, and we are absolutely stoked that Ariel does a stellar job of it, year after year.
