Vicks focuses on the 'Touch of care' in India

Please do not read any further before watching the video above. Ad Nut beseeches you.

Ugh. Even saying the above reveals that there's a "reveal" in the film, and therefore you'll probably see it coming before Ad Nut did on first, slightly distracted, viewing. Which is too bad, because although Ad Nut is as open-minded a creature as exists on this rocky orb, seeing the reveal without warning forced Ad Nut to do a little self-examination. Why didn't Ad Nut see that coming?

And that, of course, means the film worked. 'Brave' is a word that gets abused in this industry, but Ad Nut is happy to say it legitimately applies here. Because some people will find this story objectionable. But honestly, if someone is caring and has their shit together and is willing to take on the enormous, terrifying task of raising a child, who the hell cares about the particulars of that person's gender identity? What matters is that a child who needs love, gets love. The. End.

And just to be clear, Ad Nut would hate this campaign if the concept didn't tie in with Vicks' product and what it's used for. But it does, beautifully. Even though Ad Nut has doubts over how effective menthol rub really is, scientifically speaking, one can't deny it provides comfort to lots of people when they're not feeling well. (Come to think, you could say exactly the same thing about the nurturing behaviour of a parent or other care-giver, couldn't you?)

Ed Booty, chief strategy officer for Publicis Communications APAC, said the following:

Great brands don’t just reflect safe and accepted norms, instead they dare to set agendas in culture at large.

Yes. And as long as those chosen agendas align with their products and they commit to them for more than a one-off campaign, Ad Nut is in favour of more brands following suit.

If 'Share the load' was daring, this is significantly moreso. Kudos to Vicks for doing this, especially in a very traditional market. Ad Nut hopes it will help in a small way to redefine those norms.

The campaign began yesterday and includes a range of digital and PR activity that will be led by Unruly and 2020 MSL, respectively.

CREDITS

Chief Creative Officer: Ajay Thrivikraman
Creative team: Jocelyn Chabanis & Eugene Pua
Account management: Floriane Tripolino & Prachi Partagalkar
Account Planning: Ed Booty
Production house: SeeOn
Director (film): Neeraj Ghaywan
Producer: Deepa Limaye
Director of photography: Manoj Kumar Khatoi

Ad Nut is a surprisingly literate woodland creature that for some unknown reason has an unhealthy obsession with advertising. Ad Nut gathers ads from all over the world and presents them for your viewing pleasure. Because Ad Nut loves you. Need more ads? Visit Ad Nut's colleagues: Campaign UK | Campaign US | Campaign India | Campaign Turkey | Campaign Middle East