On Daughter’s Day, shampoo brand Clinic Plus has decided to stir things up with a heartfelt TV commercial that delves into the bias towards daughters over sons in Indian society.
What makes the new Clinic Plus ad unique is the simple but powerful premise: a mother wants a daughter. It’s not something you hear often. People usually say they want a son or just want a healthy baby. When a mother prays for her daughter, it makes a big difference in the conversation.
Conceptualized by Ogilvy India, the ad begins with a traditional divine barai (baby shower). The women sing and dance to shower blessings on the pregnant woman, but the focus is on one wish: the birth of a baby boy. But the soon-to-be mother seems lost in her thoughts. It packs an emotional punch when she launches into a monologue directed at her unborn child.
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“Do you secretly listen when someone talks to me? If someone told me I was going to have a son, would you take it to heart? Don’t listen to people. Your mother. has prayed for you, don’t forget that,” begins the opening line in Hindi. “Tum aana toh beti ban ke aana” (When you come, please come as my daughter).
The entire monologue lasts over three minutes and is sure to leave you teary-eyed.
While many brands are already tackling issues surrounding girls, whether it’s education or empowerment, Clinic Plus’ ad takes an old theme and delivers it with a fresh, emotional twist that hits home. .
The video, published on YouTube, has been viewed more than 10 million times in just six days, and the comments have been flooded with emotional responses.
“Beautiful video. Great lines. Touches my heart,” said one user. Another admitted: “I usually skip ads, but this is the first time I’ve seen them so many times.” And a third wrote: “This brought tears to my eyes.”
And it’s not just the monologue, the performance is perfect as well. The mother’s facial expressions and impactful narration will give you goosebumps.
With this commercial, Clinic Plus does more than just sell hair products. It calls for a cultural change. We encourage families to celebrate their daughters with the same enthusiasm they celebrate their sons. The campaign normalizes the desire to have a baby girl, allowing expectant mothers to say “Beti ban ke aana” (Come as my daughter).
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mother-daughter bond
This isn’t the first time Clinic Plus has struck an emotional chord. In 2019, brand messaging became deeper and more poignant to connect with audiences.
Since that year, the brand’s #MeriBetiStrong campaign has been going strong, celebrating the special bond between mothers and daughters. This article highlighted how mothers empower their daughters to make bold choices, decisions they would never have had the opportunity to make on their own. It was a tribute to all mothers raising fearless daughters.
In 2022, the brand builds on this theme, depicting mothers who encourage their daughters to shine even when society tries to suppress them. The Clinic Plus ad was also viewed 28 million times and received a wide response.
Last year, the brand tackled the issue of domestic violence with a heartbreaking film about a daughter finding the strength to protect her mother from her abusive father. The ad, which has garnered 5.2 million views on YouTube, powerfully encouraged women to raise strong daughters who can face life’s harshest realities.
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Heartfelt hair care?
Brands standing up for girls is nothing new. We have seen Nestle India’s ‘Nanhi Kali’, Mahindra Group’s ‘Ladki Hath Se Nikal Jayegi’ and Whisper India’s ‘Keep Girls in School’. These commercials focus on girls’ education and touch on the various issues that lead girls to drop out of school, from biological challenges to social pressures.
Then, in 2016, Inox Movies’ Raise the Flag was released, which directly addresses female infanticide. The campaign features actress Shabana Azmi in a powerful 40-second clip calling for action against female infanticide. Although the ad was impactful, it failed to leave a lasting impression as Inox failed to further enhance the campaign.
When it comes to exploring the unique mother-daughter bond, no other hair care brand does it better than Clinic Plus.
Head and Shoulders has stuck to its star-studded tried-and-true formula featuring Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Ranveer Singh and Mrunal Thakur, but its focus has always been on dandruff, hair loss and frizz. has been focused on promoting the strong hair.
L’Oréal, with its famous tagline “Five problems, one solution,” and Pantene, which emphasizes the benefits of its shampoos, are following a similar path.
While Dabur Amra sought to address societal biases, such as how girls often receive less attention at home and are often judged based on their appearance at work, it is important to take these important conversations further. could not.
Clinic Plus, by contrast, has continued to share its message of empowering women to raise strong daughters since they launched their campaign four years ago. The brand has consistently evolved this story, touching on different facets of that bond and making it stand out in the crowded hair care field.
In her latest work, her poetic monologues effectively use emotion to challenge our society’s deep-seated gender biases.
Shampoo’s only hint appears at the end with a voiceover saying, “Only a mother can make her daughter strong from the inside out.”
Brand: Clinic Plus
Agency: Ogilvy India
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
