Brands pitch gender balance in ads, but some say they have miles to go

Even as advertisers attempt a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of gender, marketers and consumers say there still is a lot left to do

An ad by ICICI Lombard shows a group of women clapping their hands and singing in unison at the Kumbh Mela, all wearing special gloves that help early diagnosis of a set of illnesses. Women, the ad says, rarely take care of their own health and it is time to change that. 

Colgate-Palmolive has released an extension of its ‘andar se strong’ (inner strength) campaign with M S Dhoni and his wife Sakshi where the couple talks about strength in the face of adversity. Both describe the inner reslience of the other. 

In the controversial Surf Excel ad for Holi, a young