ADVERTISING AN INTRODUCTION.

Advertising (or advertizing) is a form of marketing communications used to persuade

an audience to take or continue some action, usually with respect to a commercial
offering, or political or ideological support.
The purpose of advertising may also be to reassure employees or shareholders that a
company is viable or successful. Advertising messages are usually paid for
by sponsors and viewed via various old media; including mass media such as
newspaper,

magazines,

television

advertisement,

radio

advertisement, outdoor

advertising or direct mail; or new media such as blogs, websites or text messages.
Commercial

advertisers

often

seek

to

generate

increased consumption of

their products or services through "branding", which involves associating a product

name

or

image

with

certain

qualities

in

the

minds

of

consumers. Non-

commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer
product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and
governmental agencies. Nonprofit organizations may rely on free modes of persuasion,
such as a public service announcement (PSA).
The dawn of Indian Advertising marked its beginning when hawkers called out their
wares right from the days when cities and markets first began. It was then that the sign
ages, the trademarks, the press ads and the likes evolved. Concrete advertising history
began with classified advertising. Ads started appearing for the first time in print in
Hickeys Bengal Gazette which was Indias first newspaper. Studios mark the beginning
of advertising created in India as opposed to being imported from England. Studios
were set up for bold type, ornate fonts, fancier, larger ads. Newspaper studios trained
the first generation of visuals and illustrators
Major advertisers during that time were retailers like Spencers, Army & Navy and White
away and Laidlaw. Retailers catalogues that were used as marketing promotions
provided early example. Patent medicines: The first brand as we know them today was
a category of advertisers. Horliks becomes the first malted milk to be patented in1883.

B Dattaram and Co. claims to be the oldest existing Indian agency in Mumbai which
was started in 1902. Later, Indian ad agencies were slowly established and they started
entering foreign owned ad agencies. Ogilvy and Mater and Hindustan Thompson
Associate agencies were formed in the early 1920s. In 1939, Levers advertising
department launched Dalda the first major example of a brand and a marketing
campaign specifically developed for India. In the 1950s, various advertising associations
were set up to safeguard the interests of various advertisers in the industry. In 1967, the
first commercial was aired on Vividh Bharati and later in 1978; the first television
commercial was seen. Various companies now started advertising on television and
sponsoring various shows including Hum log and Yeh Jo hai zindagi
In 1986, Mudra Communications created Indias first folk-history TV serial Buniyaad
which was aired on Doordarshan; it became the first of the mega soaps in the country.
Later in 1991, First India-targetted satellite channel, Zee TV started its broadcast. 1995
saw a great boom in media boom with the growth of cable and satellite and increase of
titles in the print medium. This decade also saw the growth of public relations and
events and other new promotions that various companies and ad agencies introduced.
Advertising specific websites were born, one of them being agency faqs
now known as afags.

TELEVISION
ADVERTISEMENT

IN INDIA.

A commercial

advertisement

television (usually

abbreviated to TV

commercial, ad, ad-

film, and known in

UK as advert, or TV

advert is a span

on

of television programming produced and paid for by an organization, which conveys a

message, typically to market a product or service. Advertising revenue provides a
significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast
majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in
length from a few seconds to several minutes (as well as program-length infomercials).
Advertisements of this sort have been used to promote a wide variety of goods, services
and ideas since the dawn of television
In India, the Code for Self-Regulation of Advertising in India, established by the
Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), is applicable on Television Commercials
(TVCs). If consumers see an advertisement, which they consider misleading or
offensive, they can write to ASCI.
It is important to choose a television production company and advertising agency with
pertinent expertise in these two arenas, and it is preferable to choose an agency that
both produces advertisements and places air time, because expertise in broadcast
quality production and broadcast standards is vital to gaining the advertisement's
acceptance by the networks. After the advent of cheap video software and consumer
cameras, numerous individuals have offered video production services on the internet.

Video production companies that do not regularly place TV ads on the air often have
their productions rejected by networks for technical or content issues, due to their
inexperience with creating broadcast-ready content. Many television advertisements
feature songs or melodies ("jingles") or slogans designed to be striking and memorable,
which may remain in the minds of television viewers long after the span of the
advertising campaign. Some of these ad jingles or catch-phrases may take on lives of
their own, spawning gags that appear in films, television shows, magazines, comics,
or literature. These long-lasting advertising elements may be said to have taken a place
in the pop culture history of the demographic to whom they appeared.
Animation is often used in advertisements. The pictures can vary from handdrawn traditional animation to computer animation. By using animated characters, an
advertisement may have a certain appeal that is difficult to achieve with actors or mere
product displays. Animation also proofs the advertisement from changes in fashion that
would date it.
According to the FICCI -KPMG Report (2011), India has almost 138 million TV
households and cable connections/ direct-to-home (DTH) penetration has reached
close to 80%. Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings state that, the television
and broadcasting industry has seen an upsurge of almost 100 million viewers in 2010
to reach a total of 600 million viewers. This is very much Self-Explanatory. India is
watching and thus, TV advertisement has become the easiest medium to reach a larger
population surpassing all age, gender, geographical location and other demographics.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India in 2012, capped the duration of
advertisements on television at 12 minutes per hour and this has sparked off a huge
debate. As this would mean, broadcasters could not basically depend much on
advertising revenues and would have to increase per second advertising rate to earn
enough income. Marketers are already squeezing channels to compensate for the
same. Television advertising is already considered to be overpriced and there should be
some rationale in pricing as this might drive away the advertisers. Infact, this could
eventually lead to a compromise on the quality of the content.

STAR has already increased its ad rates by 20% and other major TV broadcasters
like Zee and Color are looking forward to a raise in ad rates by 10-20%.(Report of
2012)
But, some are of the view that the increase in ad rates would not deter advertisers to
pull down from the TV media. It has been reported that, some of the top Indian TV
channels demand up to Rs. 3.5 lakh for a 10 second spot during primetime. When
calculated, it comes to roughly Rs. 2 per 1000 viewers which is extremely cheap.
Television is here to stay and the advertisements will continue to increase as its the
medium which reaches the larger mass. Even an increase in ad rates is not going to
deter the advertisers to invest more in television advertising as it will continue to be
profitable for years to come.
\

ADVERTISEMENTS OF WOMEN IN INDIA.

Women have always been a very important part of the society. This is so because a
woman plays various roles in her life, that of a daughter, sister, mother and so on and
this helps in framing of a society in which we live. That is why she has been respected
from earlier times till date. But in todays fast changing world it has been noticed that
women are mostly being treated as mere pleasure objects by men.

It is said that visuals leave a greater impact on a persons mind compared to being
bombarded only by words of mouth or written text. This is in fact true as one can recall
things easily that one has witnessed or seen rather than what has been read; and if the
visuals are with text then it leaves all the more impact on a person as a whole. For
example: Films, advertisements, magazines etc.
Today the advertising industry is one among the fastest growing industries not only in
our country but across the world. Almost every company, institution and services take
the help of advertisements or ads to make people aware of their products and services.
Advertisements not only inform people about the new brands available in the market or
about the upcoming ones but also help in creating a need for the product in the mind of
the viewers. They also help in building a brands image and creating a niche for the
same in the market.
Due to the availability of similar products from different companies in the market, the
consumers get a wide variety to choose from. In this scenario every company wants to

publicize its product in such a way that it can attract more and more customers to get
hold of the same. Thus, they make use of advertisements to popularize their product.
Advertisements can be of various forms and sizes, depending upon the budget provided
by a company/client to an ad agency. These agencies make the ads for their client
keeping in mind the target audience for the product. They decide as to what kind of ad
would be suitable for the product and where. For example: whether the ad should be a
commercial one or a print ad and so on.
On one hand where these ads/advertisements help in the sale of products on the other
hand the same ads are hampering the image of a woman. Most of the advertisements
shown on television today make use of women in order to enhance/increase the sale of
the products.
Women are being portrayed as mere sex objects in most of the ads. They have been
shown as a weaker section of the society who can be easily get carried away by men. In
ads like that of perfumes and bikes the products are compared with that of a womans
body. For example the AXE effect (perfumes/deodorants) advertisement, wherein after
the usage of the perfume all young girls try to jump on the man, who has applied it.
Moreover, the girls/women used for the different kinds of ads are shown to be fair and
exceptionally thin. This has created a negative image of women in society, and high
expectations amongst families and peers.
These advertisements leave an impression on a common mans mind that a woman is
just an object, which can exploited easily as she is weak by nature and always needs a
man for her protection. This type of projection of women is termed as stereotyping.
Well, not only men but even women who come in contact with such ads start feeling
inferior of themselves as they are not as pretty or thin as compared to the actors or
models shown in advertisements. Though there are certain guidelines provided to the
ad agencies by ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) with regards to the
making of advertisements, these guidelines are not kept in mind most of the times while
framing an advertisement.

Globalisation has facilitated conveying of media signals manifold with entire society
been converted into a marketplace. The immediate effect of entertainment centric
programming has led to the rise in advertisements alongside the media contents. The
basic objective of advertising is profit maximization with the depiction of minorities within
society including women in tune with the consumerist culture. Advertising for women
have increased due to increase in purchasing power and decision making capabilities of
women yet role are stereotypical either as housewives or sex objects with an ideal body
image and fair skin. Even in neutral portrayal women are projected as inferior especially
intellectually. Gender relations affect the unequal power relations in society and these
are reinforced in advertisements. Social responsibility especially in case of women is
found to be wanting as advertisements use female forms even if women may not be the
target consumers.

Globalisation has facilitated conveying of media signals manifold. Multinational media

conglomerates have formed, which use improved transmission technologies along with
uniform and standardized software (contents) for all regions in which these
conglomerates operate. This advancement has a direct impact on social behaviours and
cultural attitudes of the regions they 1 operate in. globalized mass media has made
contents of different mediums more entertainment centric. Grossberg etal (2006),
globalization is about flexibility and mobility of production and marketing and the
complete immersion of population within worlds of media images, commoditization and
consumption. Standardized messages especially in entertainment mediums have great

impact. The lifestyles of upper-class are mostly portrayed in the entertainment contents
to create a sense of desire and aspiration amongst the viewing public towards such
lifestyles. The immediate effect of entertainment centric programming has led to the rise
in commercial messages or advertisements alongside the actual media contents.
Advertisements featuring products and services like various gadgets, electronic items
and high end housing, air travel, vacations abroad, banking, etc are shown to increase
interest in these things amongst the public. This soft peddling of consumerist culture in
the mass media benefits the agenda of multinational corporations (MNCs) who are
prime beneficiaries of the effects of globalization. The entire society seems to have
been converted into a marketplace for MNCs. Hence the depiction of minorities within
society including portrayal of women is in tune with the consumerist culture propagated
by the globalized media. Patel (1998), the mass media functions in the larger system of
patriarchy and capitalism that controls media structures and organizations and
represents women as subordinate.

Advertisements have made tremendous progress in the past few decades and have
become an indispensable component of modern business and planning. It has to be
kept in mind that advertisements are the tool in the hands of the sponsors to make
prospective customers use their goods or services. The basic objective of any
enterprise is profit maximization. To achieve this goal sometimes advertisements maybe
put in such a manner which might give misguiding information, may degrade a rival
product, can withhold information on possible side effects of the product, possibly injure
the feelings of a certain section of society like minorities, different ethnic groups, women
and may be decadent or obscene. Advertisements are produced in such a manner so
as to attract attention immediately. They tend to influence people of all ages and of
varied socio-economic structures. From the morning when one is reminded of the
different brands of toothpastes to the time one is ready to go to bed, one is told of the
different kinds of mosquito repellents that will give trouble free sleep. Advertisements
are slickly produced and capture attention instantaneous. It is impossible to avoid a slick

by 2 produced advertisements and nowadays they tend to influence people of all ages
and socioeconomic structures and women are no exceptions.
Women are main targets of commercials related to them and household use like
cosmetics, apparels, jewelleries, food, cleansers i.e. detergents and soaps, utensils,
kitchen gadgets etc. Advertising specialists feel that the easiest way to gain customer
confidence is by referring to stereotype and hierarchical order that are reflected in social
life. Ads created an illusion of happiness, depicts an ideal world, where everything is
clear, simple and requires no great effort. They glamorize everyday life and domestic
chores while portraying a vision of happy and perfect family complete with a model
couple, one or two kids and pets all ensconced in a beautiful house. They target
womens feeling of responsibility and appeal to womens traditional mission to guard
their homes in this case against disease germs etc. as if sterile both rooms and kitchens
prone to be the way towards fulfillment of the socially accepted roles of mothers and
housewives. Women are depicted as sexual or aesthetical object in advertisements
where they are made to look beautiful with help of various products or services and are
made capable of demonstrating desire openly especially to attract attention of men with
the help of the acquired beauty and charm. In this respect it can be said that the
emotions like envy and jealousy amongst women is a recurring feature in womens
products though not that apparent in advertisements for mens products. This goes a
long way in demeaning the image of women though jealously is a human trait not
exclusively a womans attribute. Also advertisers use womens emancipation to soft
peddle consumerism. They highlight how the urban working woman becomes a super
mom, great wife and efficient worker by using all kinds of labor saving appliance at
home. Patel (1998), women are utilized in advertising to sell products to both male and
female consumers through their two-dimensional role: as caretakers of the household
and the family and as a decorative sex object.

That women have sex appeal and that female form is attractive is cashed in by the
advertiser. Advertisements where women are end uses like detergents powders and
cakes, spices and masalas, sarees, cooking oil, personal care products and cosmetics
etc, show women as unhappy before use of product and happy after use as if
satisfaction and contentment is derived from use of products and services only. In most
ads women are shown as taking case of family which is a 3 noble occupation and there
is nothing wrong in projecting it however, it is the glorification of the ever smiling
immaculately dressed, submissive housewife which is not correct. Even though working
women have been accepted in society but still the advertisements are yet to portray
such women correctly. Independent and young working women are shown as having a
chief concern, how to look and stay beautiful not just to the onlooker but also to herself.
As the female form is attractive is cashed in and commoditized by the advertisers. In
case of advertisements where women are end users of the product or service, it is
highly justified to use women. However it is seen that in case of many advertisements
women may or may not be the target consumers yet they are still used. In reality they
are used in selling diverse products from male shaving systems to automobiles just
because the media persons think that beautiful bodies are good for brand recall. Joseph
and Sharma (1994),the growing power of media both electronic and print and their
increasingly commercial nature ,which obviates all pretence at a higher purpose,
suggests that the commoditization of women so evident in the west in the 1960s is
likely to become more virulent in India in the near future.

In society today, self esteem is an important issue that affects everyone including
women. These days projection of a careful body image especially for women has been
generated. Female models are shown to look perfect and in effect inspire the women to
try hard to attain the all important standard of beauty and perfection as set by the
visuals of the advertisements. Advertisements have many stereotyped views about
women, one of which is to have an ideal body image, be it her face or body, she has to
look perfect. Women models in advertisements act as role models for women and
teenagers, who see them often, which in turn have an impact on the mind of the female
viewers and therefore they wish to obtain perfect bodies. Women try hard to gain such
ultimate body image because they want to have attractive figures which resemble the
perfect bodies shown repeatedly and think that this is the set standard. Many diets
therapies are advertised with assurance of fast and easy weight loss leading to a
happier and successful life for the user. Many women opt for these crash weight loss
centers courses or medicines and believe that this will be a quick solution to their ideal
body image problems. Without realizing it, some of these women especially teenage
girls, become anorexic and bulimic because of the unrealistic desire to look perfect as
projected in the different advertisements by perfect models. Munshi (2001),in the
contemporary urban Indian context, the media driven consumer culture mirrors western
ideals of the perfect body-perfectly shaped, toned and exercised.
Advertisements take advantage of the Indian mentality of craze for fair skin especially
for girls. Young girls are made the target of various fairness creams and encouraged to
become fair to either attract a husband or get a job. In various advertisements, it is
shown that after use of product, the girls become fair skinned and get good marriage
proposal or the desired job. It seems that fair skin is the only ticket to success and all
other qualifications and qualities becoming irrelevant. As a developing nation with many
objectives and goals pertaining to development, the society needs celebrity
endorsements. Using film actresses to model for such positive messages is quite
common now ranging from diverse ideas like national integration, family planning,
wildlife preservation, energy conservation, AIDS awareness to eye donation. These are

indeed socially responsible activities of advertisements and these actions need to be

lauded. Unfortunately such messages are few and far between in comparison to other
commercial messages which are in huge numbers and are related to beauty creams,
lotions, colas etc produced for easy and quick money even though some of the contents
of such messages are derogatory often encouraging voyeurism, modeled by film
actresses and female artists of well known television serials. Beauty contests are held
often all over the country which is no more than ploys to use the winners of the contest
to endorse the multifarious products and services, which have sponsored these events.
Munshi(2001) speaks of a sudden spurt of made in India international beauties directly
related to beauty business which do not lag behind as they are aware of the huge
market.

The patriarchal mindset is reflected in advertisements which are again an extension of

societal values. In the last few years due to positive effects of globalization it has been
notice that female workers are getting hired in the service sector and this sector is
considered friendly to women employees. Women are earning more and spending
more, hence corporate and marketing strategies are being fashioned to target women
and use women in advertisements in neutral manner. However it has been noticed that
in such advertisements women are projected as inferior especially intellectually. In most
cases advertising agencies and the sponsoring company are represented by men who
sometimes even unknowingly make such representations. Women are allowed to take
decisions for detergents, spices etc, but when more important decisions are taken like
cars; loans; shares then men are shown as the decision makers. Also working women
are mostly depicted mostly as holding subordinate position to males, where the males
are shown as self assured and females shown as looking for male acceptability. Gender
relations affect the 5 unequal power relations in society and these are reinforced in

advertisements. Kakar (2003), our society does not like changes it prefers keeping
people in their place be it have-nots, scheduled castes or women. And it finds its
strongest ally in advertising. Joshi (1999), there is an urgent need to initiate changes in
the existing portrayal of women in advertisements to make this medium more effective
and positive as far as womens portrayal is concerned.
Social responsibility especially in case of women is found to be wanting as is
clear from the earlier deliberation. This is especially true in case of portrayal or
representation of women in advertisements. Advertisements bombard the public with
information on products and services at home or outside. It is difficult to miss persuasive
advertisements as they are produced in such fashion to attract maximum attention. In
these advertisements women may be the target consumers or not, but nevertheless
female forms are used. Where women are users of the product or service it is highly
justified to use women but in reality they are used in selling diverse products from male
shaving systems to automobiles. The advances in communication and information
technologies have imparted greater power and more impact to the message. It has to
be kept in mind while giving any message to the public that this country has multiethnic, religious and cultural groups with varied types of customs. There some traditions
in this country which have to be respected while preparing such messages, all
individuals including women should be projected with respect. The reason why this is
not the case may be that as the mass media including advertising are a part of the
traditionally conservative patriarchal society in this country, hence women are a
powerless group open to exploitation hence get a negative portrayal. A self regulation in
media against obscenity and violence along with stricter implementation of law is the
need of the hour .The social responsibility is necessary and the media should scale
down a little bit on the profit motive in the interest of the greater public good. Parsai
(2005), it seems that media should cut down on profit motive a little so that society
would benefit more It has to be kept in mind that advertisements are the tool in the
hands of the sponsors to make prospective customers use their products or services.
However to achieve this goal, messages put forward must not give misguiding or false
information. It should not degrade a rival product, withhold information on possible side
effects of the product, injure the feelings of a certain 6 section of society like women,

minorities, different ethnic groups etc and be immoral or obscene. Advertisers have the
basic responsibility of being aware that whatever they are advocating ought to be
backed up by the manufacturer with standard goods or services. It is imperative that
advertisements be socially responsible and have contents which may be considered as
within the cultural and ethical paradigm by society at a given time and place, not just for
the satisfaction or the benefit of the producer. If an advertiser produces socially
responsible advertisements backed by standard product or service, only then can they
make some profit and improve the image of the enterprise in the long run. The roles of
females have greatly domesticated in popular culture, especially in advertisements.
Many advertisements contain women in roles such as cooks, maids, babysitters, as well
as sex objects in order to sell product. In the beginning, advertisements were once
shown to sell a product, however, as years pass, advertisements begin to objectify
women and begin to use women as a way to sell products. Will these roles stop putting
women in such domesticating roles, or will women continue to be the subject to
products? Looking at the trends of advertisements, women continue to be one of main
objects for a product. The trends have greatly changed, creating a gap between the
products being sold to the objects they use to sell the product. The advertising trends
began before the early 1900s until present time, where the roles of women have
changed drastically beginning from products being sold on literally terms, to solving
personal and social problems, to consumer association and present, as a subliminal
and unconscious desire.
Advertisements began before the 19th century, where advertisements were meant
to sell the products in literal terms but today we see how women are being used as a
sex object in advertisements. Advertisements use women as a way to make other
women insecure; therefore, they will find women whom are considered ideal in todays
society. When carefully analyzed or not, people know that advertisements are ways to
gain the attention of people. They are images that try to manipulate people into buying
their product; however, many people are guilty into falling into their trap. If people did
not follow advertisements, they wouldnt be making more. Advertisement is similar to it
is no longer the territory that provides the model for the map, but the map that defines
the territory. Images were once showed through process of development, but now,

images are displayed as a form of an ideal for people to develop into. Today,
advertisements are seen as map defining territories. Advertisement shows the audience
what they can become if they use the products.

EXAMPLES OF THE TOP BRANDS

The roles of females have greatly domesticated in popular culture, especially in

advertisements. Many advertisements contain women in roles such as cooks, maids,
babysitters, as well as sex objects in order to sell product. In the beginning,
advertisements were once shown to sell a product, however, as years pass,
advertisements begin to objectify women and begin to use women as a way to sell
products. Will these roles stop putting women in such domesticating roles, or will

women continue to be the subject to products? Looking at the trends of advertisements,

women continue to be one of main objects for a product. The trends have greatly
changed, creating a gap between the products being sold to the objects they use to sell
the product. The advertising trends began before the early 1900s until present time,
where the roles of women have changed drastically beginning from products being sold
on literally terms, to solving personal and social problems, to consumer association and
present, as a subliminal an Advertisements have developed throughout the years in
order to sell more products. In the early 1900s, advertisements have been a way in
solving personal and social problems. Women at this time were placed as the main
audience for the products advertised. products are advertised in a way to make people
feel insecure. The particular advertisement, denotatively, shows a man walking away
from a woman whom is crying, which indicate anger from a man, and sadness from the
woman. However, connotatively, the man is shown with control and high status, while
the woman is seen as insecure, vulnerable and ditsy. The text is a wife to blame if she
doesnt knowand Mistakes many women often make indicate the downgrading of
women. The text indicates the lack of knowledge of women in comparison to men. If a
man was to leave you because you didnt use a particular product, would you buy it?
This advertisement says it all, use the product and keep the man, dont use it and lose
him. You never know if you would be a victim of this type of advertisement if you were
placed in this time, the unconscious desire.

Advertisements use women as a way to make other women

insecure; therefore, they will find women whom are considered ideal in todays society.
When carefully analyzed or not, people know that advertisements are ways to gain the
attention of people. They are images that try to manipulate people into buying their
product; however, many people are guilty into falling into their trap. If people did not
follow advertisements, they wouldnt be making more. Advertisement is similar to
Baudrillards it is no longer the territory that provides the model for the map, but the
map that defines the territory (Bordo 104). Images were once showed through process
of development, but now, images are displayed as a form of an ideal for people to
develop into. Today, advertisements are seen as map defining territories. Advertisement
shows the audience what they can become if they use the products. Without the support
of people, advertisement would not have such advertisements on women. But being
human, many are guilty of purchasing and engaging in the images that are shown.
However, sometimes it makes people wonder why women do advertisements that
degrade themselves. Everyone has their own reasons, some that may be relevant to
money, while others may enjoy this type of publicity. Overall, from the images shown
over the generation, portray the role o females over time. Females were once non
existence when it came to advertisements, but now has become an object for the
product.
Over the decades, particularly in India, the position of women had been submissive to
men. Men have always shirked in accepting women at par with them. Consequently, the
role of the women to a large extent till late 20th century was limited to a mother, wife,

daughter, homecare et al barring few exceptions but to think of her working outside her
house in service/manufacturing industry or sports et al at par with men was
anachronistic.

As a result the position and role of women in the society had been stereotyped. And,
marketers who are also a part of the society had not remain unaffected and had
portrayed women in advertisements (TV commercials) in the role of hardworking
homemaker, mother or housewife where her life and actions had revolved around those
products which are associated with the women who is confined within her "lakshaman
rekha" drawn by the society.

But, over the last ten-fifteen years there has been change in attitude of society towards
women. It is the result of various factors like literacy rate, financial independence,
employment, social empowerment et cetera. Literacy rate has gone up over the
decades and the gap in literacy rate between men and women has reduced.

Her life no longer revolves around kitchen or family, but she sits in company's
boardroom, wins medals for the nation, and even serves as the head of the army as a
President.
Data shows that their participation in the workforce in different sectors like
manufacturing, services, SMEs et al are significant and in some industries exceeds
more than 50%.

The marketers and advertisers have felt and observed this attitudinal shift in the society.
And, you will clearly see the change if you compare and observe now a day's
advertisements with their earlier counterparts.

The latest advertisements of Nestle - Kitkat, Pepsico - Kurkure and Bharti Airtel,
portrayed women as the protagonist (an astronaut, working women and boss of her
husband) and to promote products which were not directly related to women.

According to a study, if we categorize women in three different roles played by them in

TVCs, such as Traditional (wife, daughter, mother, homemaker and decorative), Neutral
(others) and Nontraditional (professional, professional and homemaker, girlfriend,
women superior to men or equal to men). Their portrayal in traditional role has gone
down while nontraditional role has increased.
And, if we categorize products advertised by women into Woman dominant products
(cleaning and food products, home appliances, beauty essentials etc.), Neutral Products
(snacks, beverages, clothing etc) and Male dominant products (travel, automobiles,
banks, alcoholic beverages), we can see the changes in their role.

The most relevant example here will be the classic TVC of Nirma Washing Powder of
late 80s, where we see a woman telling you all the attributes of the product, but if you
compare it with the TVC of 2011, it shows four empowered woman of 21st century who
are audacious. It was an attempt to establish a connection to the women who have
transformed over decades financially, socially and individually.

Contraceptive TVCs, like Mala-D Deluxe Nirodh of early 2000s revolved more around
family planning, women health and larger aim of controlling population. But today's
TVCs are about the freedom and right of women over herself, her desires and
preferences.
It is very progressive for a society that we are accepting women in new roles and giving
them equal status as of men. It is even more plausible that marketers are not only
showing these changes but also influencing and forcing societies which have not
accepted women rights by creating new feminist advertisements.

FEMALE OBJECTIFICATION AND THE BECHARI SYNDROME

Women in the media have often been trivialised by being called distasteful names and
referred to as a cheez (thing). While some may shrug off such acts as harmless, they
connote a deeper, stinging reality of our society objectification of women.
In day-to-day life, even women in burqas are not spared from some mens seemingly Xray vision. In the entertainment industry, portrayal of women as objects to ogle is not
recent. It is a longstanding issue that continues to leach into our lives, like the pungent
smell of fish that emanates from fish trucks that we sometimes pass by intolerable
yet difficult to contain.
Although female objectification, specifically, sexual objectification in the media has been
condemned the world over, little has been said about who is liable for it and what can be
done to curb it. How potent is the issue? Are women who allow or play roles that are
made to lure men at fault too? Do women like being objectified?
In theory, objectification refers to the phenomenon of treating women as objects that are
merely valued for their utility. When a womans body is detached from her as an
individual, she is essentially viewed as a physical object of the male gaze.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Female sexual objectification can be dangerous for
a womans self-esteem. It can possibly lead her to internalise the experience and begin
self-objectifying. However, some women make the conscious decision of being

portrayed provocatively and may argue that female objectification is tantamount to

female emancipation. Feminist Ariel Levy begs to differ. What she refers to as raunch
culture, young women expressing their sexuality blatantly is not a form of liberation, she
says, its a betrayal.
Designer Sania Maskatiya says that some women like to dress up provokingly but thats
their personal choice. Acting veteran Samina Peerzada maintains Every woman has a
right over her body. Its up to her if she wants to flaunt it. According to her, the violence
and bloodshed that are holding the country captive are far more crass and vulgar than
portraying oneself desirably.
She shares, There was a play called Bebak in which I played a flirt. But theres a
certain amount of strength that I brought to the character. The path that I have chosen
as an actor has been such that no one could ever exploit me. Peerzada holds that
actors need to utilise their power of interpreting [the role] and emoting according to
their own sensibility.
BYACCUSTOMING THEMSELVES TO THE LABEL OF BECHARI SOME WOEMN
EXPLOIT THE POWER AND LEVERAGE THAT COMES WITH BEING VICTIMISED
AND CONSCIOUSLY INDULGE IN SELF OBJECTIFICATION.
Contrary to popular belief, an overly sexualised woman is detrimental to agencies,
shares Ali*, who has been in the advertising industry for nearly seven years. He makes
an interesting assertion that those female artistes who over-sexualise themselves have
actually deterred other women from following in their track. Most of them have made it
big and others who wish to follow their steps, dont, out of fear of being berated if they
cant make it as big as them, says Ali*. He feels that the issue is less prevalent in
advertising as compared to the fashion industry.
Model Nadia Hussain acknowledges the existence of what she calls perceptual
objectification in the fashion industry. Thats what its all about, she says. She states
that designers, although only a few, would want their models to look overly desirable.
However, in contrast with Ali*s remarks, she feels that advertising agencies, marketing

companies and brand managers are the ones who emphasise on including women in
campaigns. Its all about creating a fantasy.
Hussain feels that when companies allow female objectification, advertising agencies
project it and then consumers enjoy it, it ends up becoming a viscous cycle. Even
publishing companies have a role to play. When an advertisement or an inappropriate
fashion shoot gets printed in a magazine, other brands and designers wish to follow
suit, she says.
Actor-model Sarwat Gilani feels that female objectification has increased over the
course of time. She is thankful that from day one, she has worked with people who have
guided her. They gave me tips, one of which was to never let somebody you dont
share a comfortable relationship with, make physical contact with you.
Conversely, Maskatiya argues that the situation is changing for the better. A woman is
always viewed as a sex symbol but now, her portrayal is more subtle and intelligent.
Even the films and television dramas these days use the power of suggestion to deliver
their message, she says.
Peerzada feels that women playing lead roles in films of the 1980s and 1990s were
objectified. The script was written for men and followed by men, she says. Peerzada
opted out of the film industry in the 1990s and began doing character roles because she
felt that she was objectified as a leading lady. On the other hand, she feels that
television doesnt objectify and exploit women.
Is how provocative one is willing to be directly proportional to the success one
achieves? Ali* says, Not all, but a few agencies incorporate mischievous content into
advertisements and go by the notion that if you want to make it big, you have to do
sleazy things. But he adds that ones career does get a push if ones willing to be
portrayed as a sex symbol. Maskatiya, for whom intelligence trumps physical
appearance during model selection, disagrees. She holds that most advertisements in
Pakistan are family-friendly. Being provocative doesnt go hand in hand with being
successful, she asserts.

With the constant classification of women as victims of objectification, women have

developed what can be called the bechari [helpless] syndrome. By accustoming
themselves to the label ofbechari, some women exploit the power and leverage that
come with being victimized and consciously indulge in self-objectification.
Yes, women are also responsible for the prevalence of this phenomenon, says
Hussain. If one woman says no, the other woman would readily say yes, with the
argument that ache paise mil rahe hain tou chalo karlo [If Ill get good money, Ill do it].
Hussain shares that at the time she joined the industry, models werent desperate. The
way many new models dress [off the ramp] shows their helplessness and utter
desperation. They think this is a guaranteed way of getting popular, she states.
Gilani also feels that the women who choose to be part of projects that are provocative
are at fault. Victimising women has given them the space to misuse their freedom, she
says. Film and television actor Zeba Bakhtiar says, It is very easy and convenient for
women to accept an objectified existence. It lets them remain dependent and as victims
with no real responsibility. The bechari in our society is an absurdly glamorised role
model who lacks courage and initiative. She holds that both men and women are
responsible for the pervasiveness of female objectification.
So, how can this issue be curbed? Peerzada feels that women will be objectified
because the media is run by men. But certain developments could bring about a
change. She thinks that in the television industry, a standard needs to be set. Not
everyone may be an evolved writer or actor, but they must use their power to think and
channelize it productively. Although Peerzada feels that the television industry is in need
of more well-rounded actors and writers, she commends the efforts of female writers
like Umera Ahmad, Noorul Huda and Haseena Moin and actors such as Sania Saeed,
Sarwat Gilani, and Sanam Baloch, among others, who depict the inner strength of
women beautifully. Im very hopeful for the future, she says.
Gilani feels that the issue can only be contained if the younger generation in the
industry respects and listens to their elders. If they are open to learning, they can be

guided in the right direction, she says. She thinks that with every passing year, girls are
becoming more experimental, but if their values and priorities are intact, they can keep
away from the trashy side of things. Girls must draw inspiration from women like Uzma
Gillani, Badar Khalil, Saba Hameed, Rubina Ashraf and Samina Peerzada, who
epitomise class and are exemplary women of the Pakistani media.
Hussain feels that female objectification can be contained if better people join the
industry. Maybe at a later point, Ill start an institution [to train models], she says. Ali*
argues that The only way this issue can be curbed by advertising agencies is if they
dont use women in advertisements at all. He feels that it is not so much the corporate
clients, advertising agencies or women in the industry that are to be blamed. It is the
mindset of the people. They will pass nasty remarks at any woman. Women are
objectified because of the masses, he states.
It is imperative that women rid themselves of the bechari image before holding anyone
else liable for being objectified. And men who plead guilty of leering at women must
rethink their ideals before questioning womens morality. Like they say, Taali aik haath
se nahi bajti!

CHANGING ADVERTISEMENTS.
#TANISHQ

The Tanishq remarriage ad wins the fourth place in Adweeks list of The 7 most
inspiring ad campaigns for women in 2013. Tanishq competed with brands like
Pantene, Dove, HelloFlo, among others to secure its place with 11% votes. Interestingly,
Indias largest retail jewellery brand Tanishq is also the only Indian brand to be featured
in the list.
The 7 ads touched upon various subjects that sought to empower women gender
stereotypes, sexism, cultural repression, encouraged women to be kinder to
themselves, got girls to celebrate their own strength, and one that showed the truth
about periods to young girls. The television commercial was created by Lowe Lintas
with the idea to showcase one of the many new age weddings in the form of a
remarriage, while promoting the new-age contemporary wedding jewellery by Tanishq.
The ad features a bride who is a mother to a young daughter, while dressing up for her
second wedding. The excited daughter expresses her wish to be a part of
the pheras (the part in a Hindu wedding ceremony where the bride and groom walk
around a fire seven times, while taking their vows). While the elders try to dissuade her,
her would-be step-dad picks her up in his arms and carries on with the pheras, much to
the brides contentment.

#TITAN
Titan has rolled out an ad film for its line of Raga watches. The film has been
conceptualised by Ogilvy and Mather Bangalore. The film features Bollywood actress
Nimrat Kaur.
The film begins with Kaur sitting at an airport reading a book. She is interupted by an
ex-lover who asks her if he could join her. When Kaur asks him how he has been, he
makes a reference to Kaur leaving him. As they talk and catch up, it is revealed that
Kaur is still single. On being asked why it is so, Kaur tells the man that she never gets
time from work. This being something he knew all too well, he makes a passing
comment about how their relationship would have worked had Kaur stopped working.
Kaur retorts by saying that he could have also quit. Offended, he tells her that he could
not have quit, seeing how he is a man.
Amused, Kaur looks down at her Raga and tells the man (Aakash) that he is still the
same man that she had left all those years ago. She then proceeds to offer the
ashamed man coffee as she goes on talking.
The film ends with a shot of the watch and Kaurs voice over saying , Khud se naya
rishta( a new relationship with ones self)
Rajan Amba, GM, Titan Watches and Accessories, said Raga is a reflection of the
modern woman - progressive, confident and passionate. Over the years we have seen
this woman evolve. She has unravelled different facets of her personality. And at every
step of the way, Raga has evolved with her. Today, we are seeing a new side to this
woman, where she is independent and free-spirited. And through this new film we are
happy to reflect this new dimension that defines the woman of today. I'm sure this film
will appeal to every modern woman because it captures their essence beautifully.
Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy & Mather South Asia,
said, "Raga is an evolved watch for the evolved woman of today - a woman who's self-

respecting and confident. Her story has been beautifully captured by Vivek Kakkad of
Curious Films. I am really looking forward for the women of India to see it - more power
to them!"
Joono Simon, executive creative director, Ogilvy South, India, added,"There was a time,
not long ago, when Indian brands made a habit of perpetuating gender stereotypes from
the past. Raga broke this stereotype with its consistent portrayal of a spirited woman
with an air of sensual power.In the new commercial, the brand steps up to portray a selfassured, assertive woman who reminds us that, as far as her life is concerned, she is
firmly in charge and that she alone has the ability to decide whats good for her. I'm sure
the commercial would inspire many modern women to go out and grab her rightful place
under the sun."

#BOURNVITA

Cadbury India has launched a second TVC under its campaign theme of Tayyari jeet ki
(preparing to win), for its beverage brand Bournvita. The ad film conceptualised by
Ogilvy & Mather will go on air on 10 December nationally.
The film highlights a mothers role in progressive parenting and inculcating good habits
in their children, to prepare them for eventualities in life.
The commercial shows a hooded child practising boxing, as a voice over explains the
need to prepare with someone better than oneself. It shows the kid, encouraged by the
mother, receiving punches while practising against a bigger opponent. The child is
shown training relentlessly for the next bout. The voice over says, Hum apni tayyari
behtar logon ke saath karenge. Ye aadat humein ehsaas dilati rahegi ki hum kitne
kaabil hai. Par aadatein na banti hai ek din mein, na aasani se. Kyunki zindagi main
muqabla kabhi barabari ka nahin hoga. Lekin hum abse, do kadamb aage rahenge.
(We should prepare against better opponents. This habit will make us realise our
potential. But good habits cannot be cultivated in a day, and not easily. Because
competition in life will not will not be with equals. But from now, we will stay two steps
ahead).
The tempo of the film changes as the child takes off her head gear in the midst of a
bout, again with a bigger opponent. It is revealed that the child is a young girl, boxing
with a bigger male opponent. She convincingly defeats her opponent and the proud
mother affectionately smiles at her. The film ends with the voice over underlining that
only a mother knows the value of good habits, which is why she gives her child
Bournvita.

On the idea behind the new commercial, Manjari Upadhye, VP, marketing - cocoa
beverages, Cadbury India, said At Bournvita, we believe that parents are no longer just
bystanders, but partners in their childs journey. Parents try to instil good habits in their
children, to prepare them to stay ahead of the unforeseen life challenges. And good
habits stick, when children enjoy them. Our latest progressive ad is emotional, in an
otherwise functional category and masterfully interweaves these insights to the
Bournvita philosophy of Tayyari Jeet Ki.
Zenobia Pithawalla, ECD, Ogilvy & Mather, explained, Good, quality preparation is
perhaps one of the most important facets of a growing child's life. We had to leverage
this through an inspired narrative that showcased Bournvita's allegiance to preparation
and the mothers who fuelled it.
The universal truth is: 'Zindagi me muqabla kabhi baraabari ka nahi hoga'. Keeping this
in mind, the mother inculcates in her kid the habit of preparing with those better than
self. And that is the kind of preparation that pays tribute to Bournvita's philosophy
of Tayyari Jeet ki, she added.

#NIRMA
An ambulance stuck in a pit. Men watching -- some of them taking photographs and
some disgusted at the sight of the filth. Four women 'knights', the all-too-familiar Hema,

Rekha, Jaya and Sushma -- in immaculate, crisp and clean attire -- step into the pit to
push the ambulance out. The famous jingle lingers in the air. But, what has changed is
the portrayal.
To grasp the difference, one has to flash backwards to spotless white sari-clad happy
mothers with detergent packs in their hands, and frock-clad girls. 'Washing Powder
Nirma' (created by composer Vedpal) tied the TVC together with a single knot.
Decades of change in the outlook towards women, and more importantly, women's
approach towards life, have left only a residue of yesteryears' famous commercial.
The erstwhile trusting housewife and affectionate mother, who was largely concerned
with domestic duties, has transformed into a strong, confident woman. The attire has
changed -- and so has her approach and attitude.
According to Manan Soni, director, Purnima Advertising (an agency that has been
associated with Nirma's advertising for a very long time), says, "The TVC has a new
dimension. It is appropriate for today's women, who are raring to go. The ad has a
modern outlook to it." He says that the company wants to target a younger generation
through

this

TVC.

Soni adds that the jingle is one of the biggest properties of Nirma. "The jingle is there for
brand recall, but we are showing women power."
Agnellio Dias and Santosh Padhi's Taproot is the creative agency for this commercial.
The

production

house

is

Dungarpur

Films.

Santosh Padhi, chief creative officer and co-founder, Taproot India, tells afaqs! that to
get the second-most important property of Nirma, namely the four women -- Hema,
Rekha, Jaya and Sushma -- back was what they did different for this particular TVC.

Names of these four women, along with the Nirma jingle, immediately flash the brand
Nirma, he says. He adds that the TVC aims to portray how women have evolved from
what they were 20 years ago.
"Women today are much stronger and are contributing immensely to society, along with
contributing towards their home and work. We chose some well-known lead faces on TV
to portray common Indian women in the TVC."
Dirt is good
However, this is not the first time that the concept of getting one's hands dirty and
feeling good about it has been applied. Unilever's Surf has been famously postulating
'Daag achche hain' for quite some time. Enjoying the feeling of washing dirty linen has
been explored by the Amul Macho TVC -- 'Crafted for Fantasies' -- where a newlywed
woman is shown having no qualms about washing her husband's undergarment in
public.
Also, the Ariel commercials featured a journalist and a guide who did not mind getting
dirt on their sleeves when performing their jobs.
Brushing off any comparisons, Padhi says that these are nothing but category clichs.
Evolving and changing
Of late, Nirma has been attempting to do something unusual while retaining the jingle in
all its advertising. The brand has been experimenting with its approach for quite some
time.

#FASTRACK
we have two commercials for the Fastrack band, one for clothing and one for bags. The
clothing ad depicts two creatively dressed women coming out of the closet. Here,
Fastrack is encouraging young women to be themselves and not be confined to a
certain type, and to move on (the slogan). The bag advertisement (the second one)
has a lot of overlap with the sexual category. A woman is shown waking up from a night
with a man while the man sleeps. Startled, she grabs her Fastrack bag (while wearing
only a bedsheet) and runs from the apartment. Over the course of her flight she
manages to slip into a loose top and short shorts, passing one surprised man and a
group of surprised boys. Now fully dressed she smirks as she walks off, with the slogan
Wanna Move On? displayed. While the woman is obviously sexualized, she is also

very independent. A relationship with a man (presumably a one night stand) does
nothing to slow her down. She is on the move and goes/does what she wants.

#SCOOTY
This is a commercial for Scooty, a brand of scooters targeted towards women. This ad
emphasizes mobility and independence.

#OTHERS

Here is a series of ads for Stayfree and Whisper brand sanitary napkins. Both brands
place their emphasis on empowering women to stay mobile and independent of the
home even during their periods. They show, variously, women in sports, in the army, in
business, in school, and in rural areas. In all of these portrayals the women (always
young) are extremely active and successful, whether that means topping their board
exams, winning their sports matches, graduating from the army academy, etc.
Interestingly Stayfree in particular made an effort to reach out to the rural market and
even partnered with UNICEF to provide hygiene services to rural areas (and of course
spread brand awareness). There is a strong message of empowering rural women in

terms of mobility and activity, and of empowering single, urban, middle to upper class
women to pursue their goals, whatever they may be (even if that means the army).
This article includes a great variety of commercials showing women in various
progressive roles, whether that means supporting their parents, watching out for their
own health (as opposed to their husbands), and being an airplane pilot. It also has a
great discussion of this very topic.

The rise of progressive advertisements is a positive sign for feminist causes in India, but
there are a few grains of salt to be taken with the obvious benefits. Indias rapidly
growing middle class has no doubt helped spur the development of higher levels of
gender equality, with many of these progressive ads being targeted at that audience.
Obviously even middle and upper class women still face numerous challenges, but the
climate has shifted as far as what they can and cannot do, and these advertisements
reflect that. Home-maker is still an option, but so is student, pilot, soldier, sports star,
politician, academic, and so on. And yet ultimately this is a relatively small audience in a
country where around three quarters of the population is still rural. The vast majority of

Indian women are not included in the audience for these progressive ads. The ages
targeted tend to be teenage to thirties and the audience is never the lower classes. For
most women traditional roles still take precedence. Furthermore, not a single one of the
progressive ads displayed showed a woman with a family or long term relationship,
subtly implying a sort of mutual exclusivity between independence/empowerment and
family life. This message is quietly subversive to the otherwise empowering tone, and
also ignores the reality of both outside work and domestic life as being the dual
responsibilities of countless women. Essentially, these ads imply that a woman can only
be empowered/independent etc if: she is young, single, middle to upper class, does not
have family/home obligations or children, etc. If, however, economic stabilization
increases and more women acquire a higher level of purchase power, progressive ads
may well reach a wider audience with their message of empowerment.

CONCLUSION.
The state of Indian women in advertising today is a mixed bag of progress and
challenge. Progressive advertisements exist but only target a relatively small segment
of the population (young, unmarried, without a family, middle to upper class). Despite
their limited scope, the progressive message of independence and empowerment is still
strong. The huge increase in sexualized advertisements over the past half century or so
has in some ways increased the options women have but overall has the extremely
detrimental effect of objectifying women as something to be lusted after and acquired.
While probably not the cause per se, advertisements like these reflect and condone
Indian notions of women which lead to such the shocking prevalence of rapes,
harassment, and other forms of abuse against women.

Traditional advertisements continue to target middle aged women from a variety of

backgrounds and serve to reinforce age old notions of the womans place in the home
and family. At times the lines between these broad characterizations blur and there is
crossover, signifying a change in the way society divides its various age and class
based segments. There is no doubt that India has changed dramatically in terms of
economics, government, and certain aspects of culture since partition, and the trend of
a growing middle class and slowly growing liberal values among such a class is still
alive. It awaits to be seen whether liberalization becomes a more widespread
phenomenon, or whether the strong tug of tradition and the reality of a huge population
of poor and often rural citizens leads to the upholding of traditional gender roles.
Advertising is a paid form of non personal communication used to persuade audience to
buy a product. Advertising is to stimulate one to take action on a message to buy
something. Advertising that can create awareness, arouse interest, stir desire and
persuade convincingly to take action can have great impact on sales of the product.
There are many different ways of advertising like advertising through Television, Radio,
Newspaper, Billboards, Hoardings, Magazines, Text messaging, Bus shelters, Pop-ups
etc. But the main focus of advertising are generally through Television, Radio and
Print based, we see them every day and everywhere. But the most effective impact on
viewers mind is left by television ads.
A product needs an effective ad to attract people and make good competition.
Advertising has become a part of producer's lives to win consumer's hearts. Marketers
use advertising not only to persuade the audience to buy their product but also to
advertise their products to their near ones, and if successful the non viewers as well
become their customers. In an attempt to communicate the merits of their products or
brands, advertisers have often chosen to use endorsements as a promotional strategy.
As they have different strategies of promoting their products; one of the strategies they
focus is employ women in promoting the products. Companies frequently exercise
women as spokespersons to deliver their advertising messages and convince

consumers of their brands. The use of women is one of the most successful ways of
gaining the consumer's attention and getting her to infer the right message in a limited
amount of space and time. Women endorsement has indeed become a universal
characteristic of modern marketing.
POSITIVE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN ADS
If we read through the earlier theories, they are mainly focused on negative aspects of
women portrayal in media. When we talk about women in ads generally negative
concepts occupy our mind. Many authors also have spoken only about negative
representation of women in television ads. They speak about women exploitation in
media, women shown as show piece, women used as sex objects etc. Viewing the
earlier theories one can always zero in on the optimistic study of the women projection.
This part of the article highlights on the positive portrayal of women in ads by
advertisers to promote and persuade audience towards their products.
As the earlier studies, where authors have focused the negative portrayal of women in
ads, one may tend to have the same perception even now as one might say to oneself
that women are projected just as sex objects. We can certainly agree with the point but
things have improved over the years, take the examples of Health drinks, Detergent
cakes and powders, soaps, medicine, cosmetics, mobike advertisements on television
they have represented women in a very vigorous way, very energetic, dynamic, strong
and enthusiastic wherein it will definitely have a positive impact on society. Human
tendency is they connect themselves to something positive. These ads show women
neatly dressed, family bound, persuading women to have aspirations, and achieve them
etc. Women will connect themselves to these ads depending on which category they
belong to. Women representation in ads have changed from stereotypical to go getting
attitude, take the example of Santoor deodorant ad wherein the lady runs, jumps and
reaches office before her male colleague to give a presentation. Take the example of
fair and lovely ads wherein a dark skinned woman uses the product to lighten her skin
tone and first rates to become an airhostess and a commercial featuring film star
Genelia D'souza wherein she desires to become a commentator. All these ads are

showing woman as having aspirations and nothing can stop them in achieving it. Almost
all ads except few deodorant ads have shown women in a positive light.
Off late but media has realized that woman is the most respectable personality in India
than in any other country and the way they are projected in recent TV ads is different
and has changed over the years. People still want to see women as homemakers neatly
dressed in saris and salwars. This virtual thought of audience has been caught by
advertisers and project women as expected by audience, the mere base remaining the
same that is to persuade audience to buy their products. If we see the latest ads of this
generation whether it's related to electronic items, home appliances, cosmetics or health
drinks women are projected in a very encouraging beam.

Depiction of women in advertisements has changed and it is becoming healthier over

the time. In most of the advertisements of recent times, a woman is projected as
confident, extrovert, dominant and having go getting attitude rather than just portraying

them stereotypically as being a homemaker washing clothes, utensils, cooking, taking

care of family members etc.
Of course one cannot deny the fact that there are some deodorant ads which depict
women as lustily craving for men and the portrayal of women in these ads is blatantly
vulgar. It is stinking offensive but I feel it's the women in those ads to be blamed. They
should not accept such assignments which is defamation to womanhood.
The projection of women in television ads has always been controversial and a matter
of debate. As believed advertisements have a greater impact on audience so the way
women are portrayed in ads should be positive. And no doubt as said earlier advertisers
have understood this and are fencing a proper line especially for ads employing women.
Advertisements affect the consumption pattern of the consumers. The presence of
female model in the advertisement also influences the liking of a particular product.
Advertisements should be more educative, informative and product oriented, it should
be family oriented and should contain a bit of humor in it. Women should be presented
in different roles; she should not be projected only as product user but also as product
maker. In advertisements, portrayal of women should not be vulgar and the product
should be given more emphasis than the female model. In conclusion women should be
shown as confident, independent and empowered individuals in future advertisements.