TVS Motor Company tackles gender misrepresentation in occupational charts

Delhi: In August last year, FCB Kinnect conceptualised a campaign for TVS Motor Company, titled 'Miss.Represent'. This campaign was built on the idea that if young girls were empowered with a fair representation, they would grow to be more confident and start considering career options that they are conditioned to think are just for men. 

The first video from the campaign highlighted how gender stereotypes are present at the grassroots, with occupational charts widely used at schools, only showcasing male figures in esteemed fields like STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics), while women are portrayed in roles like that of a teacher, air hostess, nurse, etc.

Statistics reveal that children’s career choices get influenced at as early as 6 years of age. This means that from an early age, girls that might have a natural inclination or skills for the STEM fields, might still find it very difficult to break out of their conditioning and pursue careers in these.  

Although there are multiple solutions, the crucial one lies in changing the education system itself. The solution to a problem is in the problem itself. 

Hence, the recently launched second video from the campaign aimed to showcase the solution, which was the chart itself, but a lenticular one. This chart, when viewed from different angles, displays both male and female in the same occupations. 

The campaign is not about leaving men out of these showcases, but also including women in the same roles. 

The brand aims to take these lenticular charts to over 5000 schools across India. 

The first phase of the campaign went live on August 26, 2023, while the second phase went live on March 8, 2024. 

Speaking on the campaign, Ashish Tambe, Executive Creative Director, FCB Kinnect, said, “We’re trying to solve a business problem, but in a way that society itself changes. When a child sees a visual representation carrying such an obvious bias, it gets ingrained into their minds. We had to ensure that the term equality shines through the campaign, which is not about women, but about equality. After trying and testing a plethora of technologies, we figured that the solution had to be scalable. It’s a long-term effort that doesn’t just start and end on Women’s Day.”

Credits:
Agency: FCB Kinnect
Ashish Tambe - Executive Creative Director
Priyanka Soni – National Design Head & Sr. VP
Elstan Rebello – VP South – Servicing
Jaikrishna Patel – Creative Director
Kejal Teckchandani – Sr. VP Production & Influencer Outreach
LakshmiKanth Raju – Creative Director
Kirthana Valli – Account Director
Payal Kale – Account Manager
Riya Shukla – Sr. Creative Executive
Yashodhara Sharma – Sr. Visualizer
Client: TVS Motor Company
Aniruddha Haldar – Sr. VP Marketing
Pallab Roy – GM Marketing
Mouli Jain – Brand Manager