A recent advertising by Vim, Hindustan Unilever Ltd’s domestic cleaning products brand, stirred an internet debate, with some speculating if the ad campaign was a joke and others criticizing Vim for its’sexist’ tone.
The advertisement for ‘Vim Black’ featured a black-colored bottle of dishwashing liquid labeled as ‘for males.’
Is Vim really releasing a dishwashing liquid only for men? What is the source of the dispute, and how has the brand handled it? We’ll explain.
The Advertisement and Its Repercussions
A video of the advertisement, uploaded on Friday by model Milind Soman and MTVIndia on Instagram, depicts a man in a gym talking about how he “helped” his mother clean dishes. Soman approaches the man, compliments him on his “bragging,” and then gives him Vim Black, saying, “Vim Black for males, simple to clean, more to boast.”
The commercial and product screenshots were soon all over social media, with many chuckling, some furious, and a few pointing out that the ad looked to be satirical. Milind Soman was also trolled for approving a’sexist’ commercial campaign.
Clarification by Vim
On Sunday, Vim finally admitted that the commercial was a prank. “We’re not serious about the black pack, but we are serious about guys owning household tasks!” On Sunday, Vim posted on Instagram.
In another post on the social networking site, Vim wanted to emphasize that home tasks are also men’s chores, and they do not acquire bragging rights for performing their job.
“Dear Gentlemen, we see you boast about the limited edition Vim Black bottle. But we failed to include one minor detail: just the container is changing; the liquid inside has always been the same! Toh liquid bhi ek hoga na bartan dhona sabke liye ek jaisa (washing dishes is the same for everyone, so the liquid too will be the same). You don’t need a new bottle to enter the kitchen; all you need is the realization that these are your responsibilities as well. As you make new year’s resolutions, why not include owning your duties and avoiding bragging rights? “P.S. No guys were hurt in the creation of this campaign,” the message said.
The dark color of the bottle appears to be a dig at how men’s goods are frequently packed in’manly’ colors like black, olive green, blue, and so on, but women’s products are typically packaged in pink, peach, and other’softer’ tones.
Not the First Time
This is not the first time Vim has released an advertisement emphasizing that domestic responsibilities are not just the responsibility of women.
In 2020, their ‘what a player’ commercial featured cricketer Virender Sehwag scrubbing dishes while a cricket match announcer complimented his ‘performance.’
In 2021, the company will launch a campaign with the motto “Nazariya Badlo, Dekho Bartano Se Aage” (change your perspective, see beyond the dishes). The same stereotype was attacked. One of the advertisements depicted a man and woman meeting before their marriage, with the lady urging him he should be “independent” when it came to domestic responsibilities.