Women are not kitchen appliances: Havells

Over the years, advertisements have been highly criticized for featuring gender stereotypes. An ad for a kitchen cleaner usually has a woman in the kitchen, while an ad for a car has a smartly dressed businessman. An ad for ready-to-make food usually features a tired housewife while an ad for a machine or hand tool usually features a husband fixing up around the house.

But lately, advertisements have also been trying to combine social messages with their product, and this style is certainly Havells’ cup of tea. The electric equipment company has decided to break traditional gender stereotypes in their new advertisement for a coffee maker which has gained a lot of attention on social media websites.

The video starts in a traditional Indian setup – an Indian girl meeting a potential groom (who happens to work in US) with their families. The potential groom’s mother is an embodiment of the stereotypical loud mother/potential mother-in-law who has graced our TV and film screens for years.

She loudly complains about how she’s been begging her son to settle down. Why? Well, he lives alone in US, she says, and he has to “go out for one cup of coffee”.

This is when the potential bride excuses herself from the table, while the groom’s mother flashes him an approving smile. However, the ad takes an unexpected turn when she returns with a coffeemaker. Placing it in front of them she cheekily says, “Settle down with this only, no VISA problem. Kya hai na, aunty ji, I am not a kitchen appliance.”

The ad ends with the message: “Havells Appliances. Respect women.” It is one among a series of creative advertisements, most with the same message: women are not kitchen appliances. A few in the series is an advertisement for an air fryer, mixer, and juicer. The entire series has been directed by Gauri Shinde, who was also the director of English Vinglish.