Just a passing thought.. I know that this ad has been on air for the past few months atleast, but I just saw it.. coz I wasn't here for quite a while, and anyways I don't watch tv much except news and star world..
I am referring to the 'Fair and handsome' ointment ad by HLL (who else could it possibly be?).. the one which encourages men to look 'tall, fair and handsome'.. ok I agree that its a common myth that the 'dark' refers to skin colour (which makes sense since I don't think the West really appreciated dark skin at the time this phrase must have been termed).. actually, 'dark' refers to the colour of the guy's hair.. still, I didn't think that being fair was a pre-requisite for good looks amongst men too.. I def know that girls who are not blessed with marble skin are at a huge disadvantage in India (esp in the 'marriage market'), but were these insane rules applicable for men too?!
I did get my answer one of these days, when I was speaking to cpl of my colleagues, and one of them (male) said 'out of the 3 of us, I am the one with the fairest complexion'! (which btw was not even true!) OK.. so u're thinking ur'e going to get married faster than the other 2 of us (which is perfectly fine with me).. but what hit me was that he was even making that comparison!! I mean, does it matter that much as long as you don't have bad skin covered with pimples and blemishes (which, btw, this guy has plenty of)?
I know I know about the new breed of metro-sexual males in the metro cities these days.. the ones who take care of themselves - get pedicures/manicures, hell they actually know which one is meant for what! the ones who get facials, and peels and massages etc etc.. much ado about nothing coz ultimately the girl's going to just see ur bank balance anyways! (ok, just kidding)... anyways coming to the point, its ok for men to take care of themselves, men and women both should look groomed, and if they have problem skin, then they should take care of it.. but blatantly marketing concept of the 'fair is good' for men too?! I mean, has the female-based market been saturated that HLL and such like have to turn their attention on the poor unsuspecting male?
Hell, this is not really an 'issue', but its amusing nonetheless.. sometimes I wonder, is media influencing us or are the attitudes and mind-set of people influencing the media? Did the chicken come first or the egg?
:-))
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7 comments:
thought provokign topic... makes me want to get back to blogging... but i digres...
1. had no idea the dark referred to hair colour... so then what happens to me? me with a turban and all! ;-)
2. its a pity that marble skin is still a pre-req in the market u mentioned.. (cant quite name it myself!!)
3. thankfully me not encountered any such metrosexuals yet! heck.. most of the girls i know shy away from the parlour... :-P
well in bulleted list land now.. hence the trend kinda got stuck.. hope u dont mind!
Mein Bhi Aaj Kitni Gori Laag Rahi Hoon, Naa?
It's consumerism driven into male cranium.
Good post.
perfect marketing meets the "want" in the customers..demand n supply - if therz no demand - create it waala funda.. its nothing more - men just fell for it i can say.. the product is largely being sold btw !!
n did u say that it was the bank balance that mattered [with a kiddin written in braces] - i just went rotf.. he he he
zoxcleb...
i also digress a bit here, but i have been wondering.. what does ur blogname mean?
anyways, u have great potential even then.. dark turban :-)
and dont worry about the bullet points.. ur comment is ur space, so its ur choice how u make it :-)
candid diary...
yes i agree, consumerism and the hankering to have everything that is touted as good, irrespective of need.. whether this is an informed choice people make or not, i cant say..
prasoon...
yes i can believe that the product is successful, becoz there is nothing like the attraction for fair skin amongst indians.. created from the time we learnt 'gulami' of the whites!
and yes, bank balance can get an ugly, dark (skin), fat man a lot of success! hehehehe..
Oh btw, dont the ladies have anything to say about this?!
Hey dunno whether its right or wrong , but if the success of the ad and the product is an indication , I think we can look forward to a few more things-:
-“Wheatish”, the euphemism for those who don’t boast of a fair complexion – will no longer be associated with just women.
-Husbands will not be able to blame their wives about spending half their salaries on cosmetics.
-Advts featuring a dark grease painted male model trying to change his world (marriage prospects/ career) by applying a triple action or a 3-week formula or whtever F&H.
- Fair and Lovely for women losing its market share – men who hitherto used to buy F&L would now shift loyalties to F&H/ F&L Menz Active.
- Matrimonial ads’ standard vocabulary to undergo a change.
- More of 'manly' queries on “ My skin is very dark . Which cream do u suggest ?“
N ya , wht would happen to the Mills and Boon heroes ?????
dark turban... hmm.. hadnt thot of that! :)
as for my zoxcleb... well longish story... someday i shall write abt it...
or maybe i'l just keep the suspense!
I think now this is the hottest topic in the Indian FMCG market. It creates a huge impact on male’s beauty care in India. Now men are as much beauty cautious as women. To care your beauty or not is totally depends upon the individual’s taste preference. Though it does not create any effect on one’s personality. Looks & grooming may be changed with changing time & situation. But your personality or qualities will never betray you. The important is that the beauty of your mind not your face.
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