Be the change you want to see in the world. You must have heard the quote, but what no one often tells is to speak your mind for the change you want to see in the world. No matter what your ideology is and how good you are morally, you’ll have to convey the message if you want others to understand what is right or wrong.
Don’t believe me? Well, you should refer to Layer’r Shot controversial ads then. The protest against the controversial ads has led ASCI to now modify its advertisement guidelines.
Let’s find out what actually happened.
‘Layer’r Shot’ ads controversy
The two advertisements for the body spray Layer’r Shot earned the wrath of netizens. One of the ads goes something like this. It features four men at a store having a conversation. When they spot the last remaining bottle of the Layer’r perfume, one of them says who will take the “shot” since there are four of them and just one of it. What is offensive is that during this conversation, a woman is shown in the ad and not the body spray. The woman then turns back, angry at the four men assuming they are talking about her.
Another bizarre Layer’r Shot ad begins with a couple in a bedroom. Four of the guy’s friends enter the room. One of them says, “Shot mara, lagta hai” to which the guy replies “Han, maarana.”
The ad then reveals that the friends were just asking to use the perfume kept in the room.
While the ad promoted the heinous rape culture, it also stereotyped men as rapists. In short, the ad was creepy, objectionable, bizarre and what not.
This led netizens to call out the makers of the Layer’r Shot ad on social media platforms. Moreover, they began asking for strict actions against the brand for releasing such an offensive ad. ASCI took the matter into its hands and called this ad a ‘serious breach of the ASCI Code’ which ‘is against the public interest.’
Read more: Creepy, Objectionable, Bizarre – That’s the latest “Layer’r Shot” ad for you
The ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) also wrote to Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms to remove video advertisements of the deodorant brand called Shot for their alleged obscene content.
However, strict action was still needed to prevent the brand from repeating such mistakes in the future.
ASCI’s new guidelines on harmful gender stereotypes
The watchdog of the advertisement sector ASCI, however, has found the appropriate solution to such issues. It has issued guidelines on “harmful gender stereotypes”, to set new boundaries. ASCI took the step against “unacceptable portrayals and encouraging advertisers to create more progressive gender depictions.”
As per the new guidelines, “the advertisements should not indulge in the “sexual objectification of characters of any gender” or depict people in a sexualised and objectified way for the purposes of titillating viewers.”
“Advertisements should not mock people for not conforming to gender stereotypes, their sexual orientation or gender identity, including in a context that is intended to be humorous, hyperbolic or exaggerated,” the guidelines said.
While the guidelines focus on women, they also provide guardrails for the depiction of other genders as well.
The guidelines further added that “No gender should be encouraged to exert domination or authority over the others by means of overt or implied threats, actual force or through the use of demeaning language or tone. Advertisements cannot provoke or trivialise violence (physical or emotional), unlawful or anti-social behaviour based on gender.”
Notably, the guidelines were released on Wednesday by the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Zubin Irani.
It has been made clear to the brands as well as the ad makers that even if the image is not sexually explicit, the usage of an image of a woman with no relevance to the advertised product would be considered objectionable. It would be nothing but objectifying women which further is a gender stereotype that will cause harm.
Moreover, advertisements should not reinforce unrealistic and undesirable gender ideals or expectations, it added.
According to the ASCI, gender portrayal is a “complex and nuanced issue” and the guidelines provide an interpretation of Chapter III (related to harmful situations), which deals with ads that can cause harm to individuals or society.
“Gender stereotypes are harmful because they lock individuals in certain roles and perpetuate certain dynamics that are harmful to society. Advertising, through subtle and implicit depictions, reinforces certain harmful stereotypes and overlooks the aspirations of individuals and groups,” the ASCI said in a statement.
However, the ASCI also clarified that the newly introduced guidelines “do not intend to prevent ads from featuring glamorous, attractive, successful, aspirational or healthy people or lifestyles.”
The ad agencies and makers are allowed to feature “one gender only, including in advertisements for products developed for and aimed at a particular gender”.
Well, wasn’t it the need of the hour? Shouldn’t these guidelines have been issued earlier? But as we all know, ‘better late than never.’
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