Ariel and Whirlpool spread the message of gender equality with #SHARETHELOAD

Ariel - the leading detergent brand from P&G and home appliances brand Whirlpool have been perfect partners for decades when it comes to laundry. With Ariel’s latest campaign, Sons #ShareTheLoad, their partnership evolved and together they encouraged men and women across 13 METRO Cash & Carry stores in India to be equal partners at home and eradicate the stains of disparity that exists in Indian households.

Joining the global brands to spread the message of equality was ace badminton player- Jwala Gutta. She was present at METRO Cash and Carry store at Moosapet, along with Whirlpool representative Anuj Goyal, Marketing Director, Whirlpool India, and together they emphasized on the need to teach sons to #ShareTheLoad so that they grow up to be equal partners to their spouse. Driving parallels to her stellar Badminton career, Jwala spoke about how a Perfect Partnership is a result of synergy, having faith, and a balanced split of expectations. Similarly, the perfect partnership at home is when men and women truly #ShareTheLoad and the distribution of household chores is balanced.  They stressed on how a perfect partnership is requisite to success, be it on the court or off the court. The event highlighted the need for everyone in the society to progress towards Equal Homes and that can only happen by eliminating the stains of disparity and gender biases. 

Acclaimed athlete Jwala Gutta added, “I know a fair bit about partnerships on the court and off it and a good partnership requires both partners to be all in. While today’s woman can handle anything be it a basketful of dirty clothes or a legion of tough competitors at an International tournament, the men of today are often unable or unwilling to #ShareTheLoad with their partners when it comes to caring for the home. I just want to tell Men of today that a Great Partnership is all it takes to succeed, be it on field or at home. So, pledge to #ShareTheLoad and be her perfect partner today and every day.”

KG Singh, VP Marketing from Whirlpool said, “Ariel and Whirlpool are committed to improving the lives of the consumers and creating happier homes, and this is enhanced when family members share household responsibilities. While Whirlpool simplifies the process of Laundry with its machines delivering superior performance, Ariel is the perfect partner that is designed for machines and removes tough stains in 1 wash.  With this perfect partnership, it’s so simple to do laundry that there’s no reason for anyone to not share the load. Whirlpool is proud to support Son #Sharetheload as the campaign's key message is integral to brand Whirlpool's ethos.''

Prior to the event, Ariel and Whirlpool also ran a laundry contest for customers in METRO Cash and Carry India Stores where men and women had to take up a 3-step challenge – Sort, Dose, Load, that taught and reminded them how to do laundry, so that they are equipped to #ShareTheLoad. This was done in the weekend leading up to Holi, so that the load to clean the Holi garments does not fall on the woman of the house solely. Lucky winners amongst those who participated in the contest in the METRO Cash and Carry India stores, got a chance to win a Whirlpool washing machine. This way, anyone who didn’t know how to begin to #ShareTheLoad were taught how to do laundry, so that they can go back home and #ShareTheload – EVERYDAY!  In a very sweet gesture, Ariel also gave away #ShareTheLoad hamper which ensured that whatever the stain may be, there is always Ariel.

Speaking about the activation, Arvind Mediratta, MD and CEO of Metro Cash and Carry India said, “As an organisation, we at METRO lead the charge to enable more inclusiveness and diversity within our eco-system. We are glad to partner with Ariel for the ‘Share The Load’ campaign that resonates with our philosophy of equitable work for all. It should be our constant endeavour to continue building a diverse, empowering and gender-neutral eco-system both at home and at workplace so that we can rapidly bridge the gender inequality gap in our society.”

Ariel has been unearthing the reality of inequality within households since 2015 with their award-winning movement #ShareTheLoad. While more men today are sharing the load than ever before, we are still many steps further from the ideal state of an equal future.

The newly-released edition of #ShareTheLoad raises yet another pertinent question in the direction of household inequality - Are we teaching our sons what we are teaching our daughters? The film that urges mothers of today’s generation to raise a generation of equals has resonated with many parents, newly married couples, influencers and has already received tremendous support and commendation from audiences across India. The film that released on January 24^th, 2019 garnered 25 Million views in 1 month, and they have just begun! Ariel continues to have this conversation by making laundry the face of the movement against inequality within households because, with Ariel, anyone can get best results no matter who does the laundry.