“See The Signs” #ShareTheLoad

In its 8th year of getting men to share the load at home, Ariel, India’s leading detergent brand, decided to dig deeper.

While the divorce rate in India is only 1%, 65% of women feel an emotional distance from their spouse.

And 81% of women feel that unequal distribution of chores has affected their relationship over time.

To make men aware and act, Ariel launched See the signs of silent separation.

We triggered the conversation with a film that introduced a new term called ‘Silent Separation’.

Silent Separation –
The emotional distance that creeps into marriage
because of inequality at home.

When a father opens-up about his marriage, his sensitive and empathetic daughter is moved to tears.

She tells him that mom has been giving and giving for so long,
that maybe she has just given up.

This makes the father realize that he ended up taking his wife for granted.

He apologizes to his wife and commits to be an equal partner.

At the end of the film, Ariel urges men to see the signs and share the load.

The message got amplified by the immense coverage it received. Over 1100 publications covered the film across 45 countries.

Taking things a step further, we reached out to a group of untapped influencers – the house help.

A hundred house helps came together and unearthed the unspoken signs of silent separation they had witnessed.

And taking a cue from the film, we organised a mass re-proposal, where married men went down on one knee in front of washing machines and took a vow to be equal partners.

The brand’s commitment to the cause unlocked massive brand preference and consideration, and also had a positive influence on the society.

1.4 billion earned impressions
35% sales up
150 million views across platform
53% emotional equity

More than 90% of couples agree that doing chores together will improve their relationship.

Most importantly, when we began in 2015, 79% men believed that laundry is a woman’s job. That number is down to 26% today.