In the movie Mardaani, Rani Mukerji, says “Barabari to door ki baat hain sir, filhaal hissedaari mil jaaye na wohi bahut hain.” This loosely translates to ‘Equality seems farfetched, for now even being included will suffice’ – a poignant reminder that in a country as diverse as India, being different comes with its setbacks. But times are changing, while insensitive remarks will cause outrage, the audience is also more receptive to more unconventional concepts. Despite the risks, some brands challenge the norms to reshape perceptions and get the conversations started on sensitivity, inclusivity and equality. Beyond genders, sexuality, beauty standards, disability, etc., IMPACT Magazine looked for and reviewed the ads that made a bold statement while embracing the beauty in diversity.
From celebrating body positivity to breaking gender norms and representing different generations with authenticity, brands are recognising the importance of telling stories that resonate with the real India—one that embraces its diversity rather than shying away from it. Inclusive advertising goes beyond just selling a product; it acknowledges the lived experiences of people from all walks of life, ensuring that every individual feels seen and valued. Whether it’s portraying same-sex relationships with warmth, highlighting the resilience of people with disabilities, or showcasing the beauty of aging without stigma, these advertisements play a crucial role in driving social change.
In celebration of Women’s Day, we at IMPACT, have listed ten of the most ground breaking ads from the past two years, that have not just captured our hearts but also redefined how brands communicate with their audience. Each of these ads serves as a reminder that advertising isn’t just about selling—it’s about storytelling. And when storytelling is done right, it has the power to inspire, educate, and bring about meaningful change. From a dairy brand to an eye hospital, find out if any of your favourite brands made it to the list.
‘Maa Jaisi Mamta’
Brand: Mother Dairy
The campaign is picked for breaking the gender stereotypes associated with the image of a mother. It takes the emotions associated with motherhood – love, empathy, and care to a universal set of performers, no matter what their gender identity is.
“It is not usual for homegrown brands to have a legacy like Mother Dairy. And, as we completed 50 years in the market, we wanted to take another look at ourselves. While our products resonate with the consumer for their quality, we wanted to redo our imagery, especially to attract the younger generation. We, therefore, went on to conduct consumer research involving our internal & external stakeholders including employees, ex-employees, consumers to land on this whole idea of ‘Maa Jaisi…’ It took us one whole year to create a campaign that redefines motherhood. As a brand that has ‘Mother’ in its name, we wanted to highlight that emotion of ‘motherly care’ which is present in every relationship we have, sometimes even with a stranger.”
Manish Bandlish
Managing Director, Mother Dairy
Bring Home A Better Tomorrow
Brand: V-Guard
This masterfully crafted ad from V-Guard has been chosen for its powerful portrayal of acceptance and inclusivity. By beautifully capturing the transformative power of empathy and compassion, the ‘Bring Home a Better Tomorrow’ campaign sheds light on the importance of embracing diversity and promoting love & understanding across communities.
“Diversity in organisations is not just a moral imperative, but seen as a strategic advantage, which will drive innovation & decision-making, fostering a more inclusive work culture. If you are a brand that stands for bringing home a better tomorrow, it is important that you support progressive social issues. Upon evaluation we decided that despite the sensitivity of this topic, this is not an endorsement of the LGBTQ community but an endorsement and affirmation of the need for equality, indigeneity and respect for everybody, despite their differences. We live in a society where shots are being taken at certain communities. So, when the agency came with the script, we said yes, if we are a brand which is about bringing home a better tomorrow, we should support this kind of a narrative. And that became the genesis around which the entire campaign got mounted. We got some very positive views. On YT, we had about 11.3 million views and even in terms of sheer engagement, we had a VTR of about 48% on 30 seconds, which is way above the benchmarks of typically about 25 to 30% on longer edit.”
Nandagopal Nair
Vice President & Head - Brand and Communications, V-Guard Industries
Make SPACE For New Beginnings
Brand: Welspun Spaces
This campaign is picked for establishing a positive outlook on adoption in India, where the adoption rates are staggeringly low. This, combined with an emphasis on individual autonomy for an adopted female child to choose her own space, makes it a well-rounded effort at promoting diversity and inclusion.
“Our core audience is composed of strong, independent, multi-faceted, and progressive women who are also the primary change-bringers in the society. Therefore, our effort remains to connect with them on an emotional level and at the same time present a very strong and inspirational image of them. This campaign too fits seamlessly into our brand proposition that is all about making space for a new beginning. For the home furnishings category, which is a growing space like travel was a few years ago, it is important to choose narratives that are progressive. Brands need to find tensions that fit with their brand proposition and make efforts to address those issues with their ads. This film resonates deeply with our brand ethos—creating space for new beginnings. It not only reflects the evolving dynamics of home and personal expression but also empowers the child by giving her the freedom to define her own style.”
Pradnya Popade
Head of Marketing, Welspun Global Brands
Stree
Brand: Shaadi.com
This campaign is picked for promoting women’s financial empowerment backed with authentic storytelling and a hard-hitting narrative. For a brand in the wedding industry, it was quite an interesting product fit as well.
“Marriage often leads to an abrupt end of the career & dreams of a woman. It is a societal expectation that women will drop out of the workforce after getting married. This conversation is very relevant to our own brand because we work in the same industry. We really wanted to highlight this issue in a very innovative way. Using the child as a medium to talk about it, emphasises how the next generation is learning from things that they see around them. Our NGO, Shaadi.org partnered with other organisations to bring on-ground solutions, as well and bring back women to the workforce. We believe that it is our responsibility towards our people to highlight such issues. For most part, brands follow cultural shifts but we have to realise that we have the power to drive cultural change. We chose to push men to take note of this problem via this ad and bring awareness about women’s careers and their dreams.”
Adhish Zaveri
VP-Marketing, Shaadi.com
It Starts With Your Name
Brand: Starbucks India
This poignant ad from Starbucks has been chosen for its powerful portrayal of inclusivity and acceptance. By showcasing a heartwarming moment of acceptance for a transgender individual, the brand beautifully illustrates the significance of recognising and respecting every person’s identity. With its simple yet impactful narrative, the ad embodies the spirit of empathy and love.
“At Starbucks, we have always believed that coffee is more than just a beverage, it’s a symbol of connection, community, and belonging. With the ‘It Starts With Your Name’ campaign, we celebrated the power of authentic storytelling. This campaign was born from a simple yet powerful insight: a name is not just a word, but a reflection of who we are. Through this film, we aimed to show that Starbucks is a space where every individual is seen, heard, and accepted for who they are. The overwhelming response to this campaign has reaffirmed our commitment to being a people first business, inspiring us to continue sparking conversations that are meaningful to our customers.”
Mitali Maheshwari
Head of Product and Marketing, Starbucks India
Chhoti Soch
Brand: Urban Company
This campaign is picked for addressing the stigma associated with blue-collar workers in the country. With this ad, they have challenged societal perceptions, promoting dignity and respect for gig workers.
“This campaign came out after extensive research with our workers and customers, which highlighted how there are some negative perceptions associated with our workforce. We realised that more than our people, the negative image was associated with blue-collar-workers at large. And making it more complicated were other societal divisions of gender, caste, etc. Now, to tackle this we could either have taken a template approach of apprising our consumers that our staff is well-trained, have required certifications, and good work ethics. But we chose to address the larger social problems. So, we started with highlighting the caste issue in the bathroom cleaner ad, next was gender-bias in our masseuse film, and the last one was a commentary on micromanagement at work. We made slightly longer films to register the issue in the minds of our audience at a deeper level. We know that the shift in social perception will take a lot of time but we are proud that we have at least started a conversation with these films.”
Tarun Menon
Sr. Director: Brand & Content, Urban Company
Change The Soch
Brand: franklin Templeton India
This thought-provoking ad from Franklin Templeton has been chosen for its bold and impactful take on dismantling gender biases in finance. By cleverly highlighting the deep-seated stereotypes that exist in our society, the campaign sparks a crucial conversation about financial inclusivity and the importance of challenging traditional norms.
“The campaign is a bold step towards dismantling gender biases in finance. By educating, empowering, and amplifying women’s voices, we want to reshape societal perceptions of women’s roles in wealth creation and management. The campaign aims to instil long-term historical and cultural change by shifting mindsets and fostering a more inclusive financial narrative. It challenges families, organisations, and institutions’ notion that men are the default financial heads of households and give women equal access to financial education and investment opportunities. We wanted to confront stereotypes that portray women as less capable or knowledgeable about financial matters. By swapping the voice but keeping the same content, the campaign exposes how audiences may unconsciously respond differently to financial advice based on gender. This direct contrast makes the message more impactful and thought-provoking. The unexpected shift in voice forces viewers to confront their own biases, creating an ‘aha’ moment that is both emotional and intellectually engaging. It turns an abstract issue into a visceral experience.”
Geetanjali Sachwani
Vice President & Head – Marketing, Franklin Templeton India
Ganpati Festival
Brand: Parle G
This campaign is picked for incorporating gender-progressive thinking in traditional norms without talking down to the audience. The ad gives a very positive message focused on gender-equality in day-to-day lives.
“Parle-G has been a consumers’ product. They own the brand more than we do and this gives us a space and authority to talk to consumers about important issues. When a message comes from a brand like Parle-G, people tend to take notice and act upon it. Therefore, we also have a responsibility to indulge in progressive narratives without talking down to the consumer. We don’t want to be preachy when we do it. Our Ganpati film was a similar attempt – fostering change in customers while respecting traditions. When the little girl asks why can’t she take the idol home, we give an emotional answer that ‘Bappa’ goes back home with his mother, so why can’t mothers take him to their homes as well? This is rooted in belief, bringing out the cultural nuances of the festival, and at the same time champions social change.”
Mayank Pravinchandra Shah
Vice President, Parle Products
#WelcomeHome
Brand: Future Generali
This campaign is picked for its sensitive portrayal of LGBTQ+ community, creating an inclusive environment for the members. The cast members of the ad film are all from the community, making it an authentic attempt.
“DE&I is integral to our organisation and we have been committed to being an inclusive employer, corporate citizen, and insurance partner. That’s why we have taken actions to make everyone feel included in our workplace as well. To give a small example, we now have gender-neutral washrooms at all our offices. We have been conducting training & sensitisation programs for our employees, so everyone feels welcome. If we talk about #WelcomeHome, we wanted to put our money where our mouth is. Hence, we expanded the definition of family in our terms, providing family floater health insurance cover to live-in partners including the LGBTQ+ community across all our health indemnity insurance products. This campaign is an extension to our basic core proposition – Future Generali is a place where regardless of who you are, you will be welcomed and valued. We wanted to focus on authenticity, and therefore highlighted real stories of more than 25 individuals. Even the music has been composed by a member of the community.”
Ruchika Varma
Chief Marketing, Customer and Impact Officer,
Future Generali India Insurance
Choose What You See
Brand: Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital
This campaign is picked for its unique depiction of aged people, breaking the stereotypical self sacrificing and community-focused image that ads generally portray. It stands out for showing an old man thinking first about himself and enjoying his days of retirement with his partner instead of feeling like a burden to the community.
“The story was a natural brand fit for us as people need eye care when they get old. It is a natural process. So, our core audience has been people in the senior age category. We wanted them to feel valued; it’s not that their time is over, they can have their own goals, aspirations, and dreams. This was the key insight that was behind this ad film, which we wanted to keep very light-hearted, as we have done with our earlier film with Ratna Pathak Shah as well. We feel that humour is quite a potent tool to deliver emotions and connect with the core audience. To drive the campaign better we used TV and Digital as our primary mediums. In TV, we focused on GECs, News, and Devotional genres.”
Ayushman Chiranewala
CMO, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital Group
