Be Fair

The wind was not cold but cold enough to put “the college” hoodie on all of us. We continued walking towards night canteen. I had a tough choice ahead double cheese Maggi or BBC (dish at our night canteen).  Meanwhile a scent kept distracting my decision making. So I sniffed around and it was him. I looked into his eyes only to see him chuckling.  The next one year in campus carried this brand’s fragrance in its air.

A year back, I met a friend. He had a peculiar smell coming from his shirt. Since he was a good friend. I decided to be brutally honest with him. He couldn’t agree to the fact that the smell was pathetic. The reason being back in his college a girl told him he smells great. She even asked if he had custom made perfume for him.  I know what she was doing. My friend took it rather seriously. Anyways I have convinced him but still once in a blue moon he thinks she really meant it.

I guess this could be the only reason why men’s section have overtaken women’s section in deodorant.

A random boy sprays a black bottle and hundreds of girls clad in bikini come running for him. Every guys’ dream probably. Where competitors were subtly talking about getting girls. Axe was shouting it loud that its purpose of life is to help you get laid. 

Axe knows it is going to stay in your life for about 5 to 7 years say from 16 to 23. Brand knows it cannot show a geeky guy who turns the coolest guy in the campus the moment he sprays. So there is an already cool guy who just gets unbelievably cooler after spraying the magical bottle. In 2010 during soccer world cup, Axe got together probably the best combination for men. Women and soccer. A steaming hot Paraguayan model got Axe tattooed on her breast. She did became the best paid model in Paraguy and axe caught the attention by getting men’s attention. Axe shows that it’s not chemistry but marketing that has built such an unbeatable brand.

This 35 year old brand has made sure that the essence of the brand remains constant. It’s been almost 2 decade for axe in India but every advertisement I have seen has the same brand proposition. The way of presentation has changed, food remains the same. This could be their reason for such high brand recall. Unlike girls, guys don’t stand in supermarket hanging out testing bottles. The moment they see the bottle they recall the brand. Axe has become an instant delivery kind of product. If you observe, female deodorants brands advertisements are mostly functional driven. Anyways whatever you tell me, I will still spray it on my hand look around ask my female friends and then buy. Just like guys, girls also want other girls to approve of their fragrance

In 2017, Axe took 180 degree shift. The changed how they talk to men. Axe started encouraging men to be themselves and find their magic. Axe has realised that the lust game will not work anymore. Also to widen its target segment, to include more mature men. Axe has to grow up and be a man not a boy.

They did an interesting research, where they got to know that men were seeking permission to be themselves. Google data analytics reported that men were asking question like- is it okay to be skinny? Is it okay to cry? And many more. Axe then launched a campaign #isitokay where they shouted out loud that it is okay be who you are. When a brand like axe said it, guys believed it. The brand got an overwhelming positive response. They worked on this and came up with a new tagline “find your magic”. The concept is more sustainable and targets a wider audience.

These big brands have power to influence youth. As a consumer of HUL products I find the shift in Axe advertisements refreshing & relevant. 

However -this is not always true, there are some HUL products advertisements which for decades have been absolutely stagnant in their conversation. Even though the consumers of the product are evolving. The brands refuse to accept it since the change plummets sales figures.

With one of the worst possible names, which is true to its brand proposition.  Fair and lovely has proclaimed to the developing countries only fair is beautiful. With a dishonest attempt to be less racist, in Africa, Fair & Lovely is called Even & Lovely. All developing countries and yet the same message everywhere. I can’t help but appreciate clarity in their communication. They are so clear and we girls are so confused!

Fair & Lovely has a whooping market share of 50% to 70 % in close to 3000 Crores women skin whitening category. Since 4 decades this company has been messing up with the definition of beautiful and fair. Sadly, we have grown to believe it.  I remember an incident vividly from my childhood. Must have been around 10 year old. We had come to see our grandparents during summer vacations. My brother and I visited our neighbours. My grandmother’s friend who we happened to call “nani” tells me that I have a darker skin tone compared to my father and mother, whereas my brother has a fairer skin tone in spite of his parents not being very fair. My younger brother did not understand what was said, but I did. I felt embarrassed of not being as fair as my parents. So I went back home rushing telling my parents what happened.  Even today when we get together, we remember and have a good laugh on it. I was lucky my parents convinced me otherwise.

Imagine thousands of girl, growing up to believe that they are not beautiful, confused if only fair is lovely. This is the insecurity on which skin whitening creams growth fuels on.

There is a girl, who wants to be civil servant officer. Mind you, she is studying hard. So one day her teacher tells her “sirf parhai se kuch nai hoga tumhe interview ka saamna karna hoga” to that she replies “main tayar hun”. Her readiness translates to the fact that she has got a Rs5 sachet to become fairer which is how she is going to crack the interview. This is my favourite worst fair and lovely advertisement. I take a sigh of relief that big names like Aashwariya Rai, Priyanka Chopra, Sushmita Sen and Kangana Ranaut have said a clear no to them.  Dear Yami Gauram, You can do better than this. Quit it!

In 2005, Emami got Shah Rukh Khan to say something similar to men. Why should you only sell fairness cream to women, when even men were using it?  With this, they launched Fair and Handsome. Now you don’t have to steal your wives or sisters’ fairness cream. You have your very own whitening cream! This was probably the beginning of end of ‘dark & handsome’ being used together for men.  If women were to be fair to be lovely, so did the men. Fair & lovely is absolutely fair on gender.

In early 2017, Emami leader in men’s fairness cream segment with around 60% market share reported only 1% growth in sale. The market for men’s whitening cream appears to be shrinking. Analysts says that it could be a long term trend.

 At the same time, men are spending more on personal care products. May be they just understood the difference between fair & handsome.

I believe more brands will wake up to this reality. You cannot sell mercury, lead & hydroquinone packed in glossy packaging to us in the name of fairness. We are an evolving customer who will question everything you sell.  Brands will have to rework their composition & proposition. 

So when a 10 year old girl & a boy are watching television together. In case you show up in between, which you will of course. Let’s just keep it to supple & glowing skin. Be fair.