The Gender-Swap Cadbury 'Kuch Khaas Hai' Ad We've Been Waiting For Since The 90s
NDTV
"A simple, obvious twist that was long overdue," wrote one Twitter user for the Cadbury ad.
In the 1990s, confectionery giant Cadbury launched an iconic advertisement featuring model Shimona Rashi. Dressed in a floral outfit, she sat on the sidelines of a cricket match, eating a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk. When the cricketer - presumably her boyfriend - scored the winning run, she zoomed past security to celebrate with a dance on-field while the "asli swaad zindagi ka" tagline played in the background. The advertisement, conceived by ad agency Ogilvy, was largely credited for changing the perception that chocolates were only meant for children. In a cricket-crazy nation, the fact that the video focused on a cricket match certainly did not hurt. Oh wow!! Take a bow, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Ogilvy :) A simple, obvious twist that was long overdue, and staring right at all of us all this while! pic.twitter.com/Urq8NXtg7W An iconic campaign, a contemporary twist and so many relevant messages!Well done Cadbury! @DairyMilkInpic.twitter.com/DHjnCjaXa0 Remake of one of India's most loved ads.With this role reversal ad we can see how much women have progressed in the Indian society whilst the emotions of success and victory still remain the same.https://t.co/BqZEjegpgA#chocolates#advertising#adcampaigns#adindia#cadburypic.twitter.com/jhJC08jusA Just awesome,,,, got an instant flashback of my childhood ???????????????????? My Uncle made the original one. He was Head of Video at Ogilvy at the time and we remember cheering him. What a cool gender reversal to witness in one's lifetime #VikramBangerahttps://t.co/6CkN7ZCb7E Love this???? https://t.co/8kukAes3ON
More than a quarter of a century later, Cadbury has reimagined its iconic advertisement - changing little except gender roles. This time, it is a women's cricket match in progress that is being observed by a man on the sidelines, munching on Dairy Milk. When his girlfriend scores the winning six, he breaks into a celebratory dance and rushes onto the field to hug her.
In a country where cricket has, for decades, been largely synonymous with men's cricket, the advertisement marks a shift in popular perception of the game. Social media users were quick to notice Cadbury's nod to its iconic advertisement and praised the company for turning gender roles on their head.
