There are two types of kindness patterns. One, where empathy drives kindness, the other one is driven by the need to glorify oneself.
For example, when you see humans clicking pictures when they donate money, food, clothing, etc. This particular type of kindness is quite usual as it serves and feeds the person's image of self. Self-serving isn't troublesome - it does more good than harm. However, promoting the idea of self-serving kindness can lead to a very narrow understanding of kindness.
'Celebrate the ones who make our home' by JK Cement:
The advert showcases a very nice concept, directed horribly. You will notice a few themes here - mainly a couple of toxic/abusive attitudes that the southeast Asian community tends to have towards blue-collar workers.
There is a class bias that was highlighted, and it was done very well. At the beginning of the ad, we see a lady yelling at a blue-collar worker, a painter. She is shown to be arrogant, yet proud of her arrogance. She demands that her walls be refurbished before Diwali.. which is only a few days away. The painter, responds with a shameful, guilty nod while promising that the job will be completed before Diwali. The ungrateful response of the lady, coupled with her rhetorical request to get the job done on a tight timeline showcase how the rich think that the economically unprivileged owe their unconditioned labor to them. What if there was a question about 'Well, why didn't you book the painters early enough to get this done on time?' Not really, because the upper class is entitled enough to disrespect and devalue another person's time, emotions, and their own life.
The 'twist' of celebration at the end - she reverses the anxiety given to the painter and his family by giving him a flight ticket, a gesture of elite apology, sugar-coated in gratitude to 'the ones who make our homes'.
In a toxic relationship, the abuser will often disrespect or abuse the abusee, and then treat them with a special something. That special something is less a gesture of gratitude, and more a permission to be abusive again. The flight ticket to the painter is merely a way for the lady to get over her guilt of holding someone back from visiting their family on a festival as big as Diwali. It is barely a gesture of gratitude.
Most of the viewers of the ad have mentioned that the ad is cute, and heartwarming. The reason they think so is because blue-collar workers are treated with so much disrespect in southeast Asian countries, especially India, that this, in comparison, feels like a big deal. It's not. The big deal would be to let the painter go back home for Diwali, and paint the home yourself.
'Meer Saathiyon ka Aur Mera Saathi' by IndiPaisa
The IndiPaisa advert also - talks about the 'heartwarming' gesture from the owner of a shop to his employees. He gives away a bonus, compiled with health insurance as well as opens a bank account for his employees. TLDR: We're happy that we, as employers, have started doing the bare minimum that we need to do in order to retain employees in an economy facing The Great Resignation.
Why are our standards of kindness so low that the bare minimum seems like a benchmark? The content we create reflects the traits we have as a society. This particular advert has done a not-very-good job at placing their product either. I still don't really know what the advert was about - till I read up on the company.
Making an actual difference: Iss Diwali, Thodi si Jagah Bana lo
There is a constant theme of 'helping the underprivileged in more ways than you actually ever would' in these ads. However, what HP did - was brilliant. Even though there are themes of 'oh look, we're better than this', they've gone ahead and supported artisans in real-time instead of just putting an ad up there.
Reminiscing the good old Diwali ads
Well, here's an ad that we ALL loved. It trended on social media for the longest time! I was surprised that this was an HP ad as well. 'Amma ki Diwali Happy Banao' was an extraordinary advert that highlighted not just the local artisans or kalakars, but also placed the HP products better than ever.
This Diwali advert beautifully portrays the innocence of a child, the simplicity of a child's mind and the 'being in the moment' trait that children have. A superb example of how privilege can help those with the lack of it. Here, privilege is not only money, but also exposure to know of an advertising alternative, the skillset to design that poster and an availability of resources such as the HP printer, etc.
Advertising - 1, Eltism - 0.
Have you liked or not liked any other Diwali ads? Let us know in the comments section below so we can love/hate them too!
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