Cadbury respins iconic ad with a progressive twist
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Cadbury respins iconic ad with a progressive twist

The new Cadbury ad goes a step ahead when it reimagines the 90’s for the current world

Cadbury respins iconic ad with a progressive twist

The scene is the same, on the batting end, a century is about to be made, tension lurks strong in the eyes of the audience, all eyes on the bowler, who misses the catch as the ball goes for a six. Someone comes running to the stadium dancing in celebration: the only difference is this time it is a woman on the batting side and a boy cheers for her.

“This is a New India, our women are doing well. They are making a mark everywhere, including in sports. And we are celebrating that.” says Mr. Sanjay Ahirwal, former Editorial Head, NDTV.

The 90’s has a special place for the millennials: the world of video games, the emerging pop bands, candies, summer vacation, and grandparents. Capturing that nostalgia has been a recurring theme in current shows, which are performing well.

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However, the new Cadbury ad goes a step ahead when it reimagines the 90’s for the current world. As proclaimed by netizens, this simple twist was long overdue and has made millions smile.

For decades, cricket has been dominated by men in India. However, slowly over the years, the women in blue, led by Mithali Raj are bringing India to the front in World Cricket.

The India Women’s cricket team has qualified to finals in 2005 and 2017. They have been the champions of the Asia Cup six times to date. The new campaign recognises the contribution of women in sports in India and leads the way for encouraging sports for women in the country.

The 90’s ad, “Kuch Khaas Hai,” was widely popular because of the music, tone, and featuring model Shimona Rashi’s iconic dance step. After gathered by research, the original ad was made to increase the appeal of Cadbury’s chocolates among elders too, going by the idea, “There is a child in all of us.”

Anil Vishwanathan, senior marketing director told Storyboard that it was a young creative at Ogilvy Advertising, who came up with the idea of reversing the gender, and the whole team was happy to adopt it as the idea contributes to culture leading. The simple reversal of gender in the latest ad gives a strong message.

In the recent past, brands have come up with progressive advertising. “Advertising does play a role in the society,” confirms Mr Ahirwal. When an ad shows a man contributing to housework, such as in Ariel’s Share the Load campaign, or Vix features a transwoman as a mother, it sends a message of inclusion in society.

“It is noteworthy that the boy is a Sikh in the ad. Imagine the number of stereotypes broken had it been a Muslim boy in a skull cap,” says Mr Ahirwal.