J. Walter Thompson India has partnered with HAIYYA (NGO), to collaborate on ideas that bring about a social change. As a result, they launched #mydaughterwill, a digital campaign, conceptualized and created by JWT, aiming at giving daughters the same rights as sons to perform a parent’s last rites
The campaign captures the emotional chords of people through their real-life stories. The campaign has been given life not to usher in change overnight, but to seep into the thinking and conversation of citizens in the country and one day herald change.
“We share touching, real life stories, not slogans,” Nandita Chalam, Sr. VP and Executive Creative Director, JWTIndia told DIVERGE. “And the stories have struck an emotional chord with parents and daughters everywhere. ”
DIVERGE talked to Tista Sen, National Creative Directors at JWT India to find out more:
Where did the idea for this campaign come from?
Early this year the women at JWT decided to come together and create communication for issues that plagued our country where the status of women were concerned. This was one of the most taboo topics. People didn’t really talk about it but everyone is aware of how acute the malaise is.
Why is it so important to address this?
As society evolves so does the status of women. And women in India have come a long way. But buried beneath in our culture are issues that we needed to raise and make a statement to the country at large.
Why is gender equality a very important conversation?
It is the singularly most important conversation in any society any culture. The issues women face are different in different geographies but the issues exist. From single women to working women to equality in wages and benefits anything that subverts or discriminates against women on the basis of gender has to be taken up and discussed.
What kind of response have you seen from this campaign?
Within days we’ve been engulfed with support and stories. We’ve heard from daughters who went ahead and did this against social sanction, women who wished they had acted upon this and from dads. When fathers of daughters write in to say they have daughters and they would insist they discussed this issue in their families you know you’ve touched a cord albeit a very sensitive one. –
Why is JWT so passionate about this?
At JWT we are passionate and committed to issues that discriminate against gender. We believe equal rights should be made equal and we will develop and create communication that addresses different issues and supports the women of our country. Tomorrow it could be issues that women face all across the world. We say ‘ bring it on!! ‘ –
Credits: Senthil Kumar, Tista Sen, Nandita Chalam, Vijay Solanki, Shyam Nair.
