Fairness creams & face washes for men are okay, why the brouhaha over Vim Black?

It would seem that we Indians are not much taken up by some wry humour. Otherwise why would most miss the satirical point that dishwashing brand Vim was trying to make with the ‘supposed’ launch of a new product – ‘Vim Black’ for men?

Conceived by Lowe Lintas, brought to life by media agency Mindshare and produced by MTV, the campaign shows a young man at the gym bragging about how he had helped his mother by doing all the dishes. At which point fitness inspiration Milind Soman does a slow clap ‘praising’ the young man’s efforts and introduces Vim Black for Men. No doubt, the visuals and the way the ad has been treated does make it seem like a launch ad for a new dishwashing variant. However, the tagline used should have been a dead giveaway – ‘Easy to Clean, More to Brag’.

Also read:

VIM launches #VimBlackForMen – A satirical Ad campaign

That Vim actually had to come out with a ‘clarification’ after the brand was slammed on social media – calling the campaign a “joke” and a satirical take on brands using the colour black to launch products targeted at men (charcoal facewash, anyone?) – is a revealing commentary in itself. From men’s grooming products, to apparel, to bike gear, to anything male – according to brands black spells machismo. Anything on the pastel side is a man expressing his ‘feminine’ side!

Meanwhile, women are fighting battles on all fronts, becoming masters of achieving work-life balance – managing their home front and work front efficiently. No bragging here.

So social media, relax. The joke’s actually on you.