In Partnership with #ShavingStereotypes
In the footsteps of ‘The Best A Man Can Be, Gillette’s latest ad makes a powerful statement
May 01, 2019
Long live, O son. Your birth brings fortune to the family, so begins Gillette’s latest ad in Banwari Tola, a small village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The lyrics are derived from the Sohar, a traditional song sung in some parts of North India to celebrate the birth of a boy. The film begins with a little boy hopping and skipping around the village, taking in all the typical sights and scenes of a regular day in rural India. His father’s voice rings in his ears, “Children always learn from what they see.”
On his path, the child comes across vibrant scenes that define the way of life in his village — men roughing it out in the akhada, women returning after fetching water, men manning the shops around etc. He watches and learns, like a sponge that absorbs everything around it, and forms his own observations — the boys inherit their vocation from their father, while the girls have their domesticity to keep them occupied. It’s a fairly simple world he’s seen in his eight-year long life, until one day he notices something out of the ordinary during a trip to a barbershop.
Barbershops in India have always been all-male zones, so you can imagine the little boy’s bewilderment and absolute confusion when two girls pick up the razor.
“How would a razor know the difference between a boy and a girl?” Just one simple statement from the father to his son is enough to change his perspective forever. The film captures how deep-seated stereotypes can be shaved from the society. It’s through observation that gender norms get hard coded, and it’s through observation that they can also be dismantled.
Jyoti and Neha Narayan challenged the norms and ventured into a male-dominated profession by taking over their father’s barbershop at a very young age while ensuring not to skip their education . Seeing their sheer grit and determination, the entire village of Banwari Tola rallied behind them to help them in their endeavour. The girls now have a stream of loyal customers who appreciate their work and are their well-wishers. Jyoti and Neha have given the Sohar a new meaning in their village, long live O daughter, your birth brings light into our world.
The barbershop girls and the village of Banwari Tola have set an example for future generations on how to look beyond gender norms. Thanks to their efforts, the kids in their village will have no trouble imagining women as skilled barbers. After all, as the little boy’s father says in the closing scene of the ad, “Children always learn from what they see.”
By keeping it simple and yet #ShavingStereotypes, the Gillette ad beautifully brings out the story of two sisters who’re inspiring the next generation of men to rethink their notions about gender roles.
This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of #ShavingStereotypes and not by the Scroll editorial team.
Source: scrollin
In the footsteps of ‘The Best A Man Can Be, Gillette’s latest ad makes a powerful statement
May 01, 2019
Long live, O son. Your birth brings fortune to the family, so begins Gillette’s latest ad in Banwari Tola, a small village in eastern Uttar Pradesh. The lyrics are derived from the Sohar, a traditional song sung in some parts of North India to celebrate the birth of a boy. The film begins with a little boy hopping and skipping around the village, taking in all the typical sights and scenes of a regular day in rural India. His father’s voice rings in his ears, “Children always learn from what they see.”
On his path, the child comes across vibrant scenes that define the way of life in his village — men roughing it out in the akhada, women returning after fetching water, men manning the shops around etc. He watches and learns, like a sponge that absorbs everything around it, and forms his own observations — the boys inherit their vocation from their father, while the girls have their domesticity to keep them occupied. It’s a fairly simple world he’s seen in his eight-year long life, until one day he notices something out of the ordinary during a trip to a barbershop.
Barbershops in India have always been all-male zones, so you can imagine the little boy’s bewilderment and absolute confusion when two girls pick up the razor.
“How would a razor know the difference between a boy and a girl?” Just one simple statement from the father to his son is enough to change his perspective forever. The film captures how deep-seated stereotypes can be shaved from the society. It’s through observation that gender norms get hard coded, and it’s through observation that they can also be dismantled.
Jyoti and Neha Narayan challenged the norms and ventured into a male-dominated profession by taking over their father’s barbershop at a very young age while ensuring not to skip their education . Seeing their sheer grit and determination, the entire village of Banwari Tola rallied behind them to help them in their endeavour. The girls now have a stream of loyal customers who appreciate their work and are their well-wishers. Jyoti and Neha have given the Sohar a new meaning in their village, long live O daughter, your birth brings light into our world.
The barbershop girls and the village of Banwari Tola have set an example for future generations on how to look beyond gender norms. Thanks to their efforts, the kids in their village will have no trouble imagining women as skilled barbers. After all, as the little boy’s father says in the closing scene of the ad, “Children always learn from what they see.”
By keeping it simple and yet #ShavingStereotypes, the Gillette ad beautifully brings out the story of two sisters who’re inspiring the next generation of men to rethink their notions about gender roles.
This article was produced by the Scroll marketing team on behalf of #ShavingStereotypes and not by the Scroll editorial team.
Source: scrollin
