What is that one awkward moment you always wish would never come, while watching television with your entire family? For most of us, it is an obscene advertisement promoting a condom or women’s inner wear, which only tends to focus on objectifying women rather than the product. How sad is this, isn’t it?
I am very happy to say that this is not all what this article is going to be about.
I see it as a very encouraging sign that there is a company in India which has decided to change the course of the wind, and its name is Zivame. The recent TV advertisement by this online lingerie shop has come like a fresh breeze to me. This commercial has smashed the belief that an ad has to be sexual in order to sell products like bras, panties, condoms, or even deodorants for that matter.
The beauty of the Zivame commercial lies in its simplicity. Women’s inner wear and lingerie have been so aesthetically presented that in no way it can be considered as cheap or vulgar. Words like ‘bra’ and ‘panties’ which are not been so commonly discussed in our family and society, have been given an outlet through this commercial.
The way women are boldly speaking in the ad about their preferences of inner wears, is a complete delight to watch. They are sending out a strong message to the society through one of the most powerful means of media, television. It has been very subtly presented that women should never shy away from discussing about these elements of clothing because at the end of the day it’s just inner wear, what’s the big deal?
The commercial is explicitly asking us the question that why we do enforce sexuality on women all the time, can’t an ad be just for once be presented without the element of sensuality. Only when more commercials like these become regularity on our television, the society will be able talk and discuss freely about the intricacies of womanhood.
Even common terms like ‘periods’ are not able to make it up to our dining table conversations. I only see this change happening, when womanhood starts getting respected on national television rather than exploited. Zivame has a taken a step forward in this case and its time that others also start following.
If you say that our society has learned a lot of negative things from television, well then now it’s time to adopt something really good and valuable.
The commercial by Zivame has made a positive impact in our society, no matter how small it is but it is trying to do away with the hidden taboos of our society. Both men and women have been given that much needed leverage to discuss things in an open environment.
When we talk about women empowerment, it doesn’t always have to be in the form of acts and laws which protect them. There are simpler ways as well and Zivame has for sure found one. If we are looking to achieve a society where women feel empowered and secure, then that can only happen if we inculcate absolute freedom of thought and speech. There is no point in shying away to discuss things which are not mainstream in our society.
It is not possible to create a utopian society overnight but if we start taking one step at a time then change will be impossible to avoid. The change in this case is being brought about by the online store, Zivame, so let us all celebrate its commercial as a testimony to changing times in our society.
