Social media in March has been a hurricane of posts featuring Women’s Day, PSL and FPW all rolled into one. Amidst the clutter, it’s easy to miss out on the news, the views and the ‘points of view’ that might have something to say – something different from the ordinary, something that we shouldn’t just let BE – but scroll up to watch again perhaps? One such campaign caught our eye for more reasons than one. That was the campaign by “edenrobe”.
edenrobe WOMAN launched the Let Women Be campaign for their un-stitched Spring Summer Collection 2019 and we are positively floored! The advert addresses issues women face daily with a quiet subtlety and charm that is both engaging and sensitive.
The ad features women from different backgrounds; the youth of Pakistan, older housewives, working women – The focus is on reclaiming public spaces, (or spaces judged to be only for men), and challenging the gender-defining roles we have grown up with, and perhaps, taken for granted.
“It’s hard to make your place in this world” – says the young girl at the dhaaba as she orders chai. “The world is moving ahead, move with the times, don’t get left behind”, warns another while playing cricket in her mohalla. “When success does not consider gender, why do you?” Counters a third. “Is your 9-5 job harder than my 24/7 job?” Asks a housewife. “You’re flying high on your bike, but where is your soch?” Asks another.
Woah! We’re blown away by the questions, and we guess a lot of you might be too, as they’re obviously addressed to the qaum in general and challenge the national soch we have grown up with (and believed to be correct by many). The scenes are thought-provoking as we spot women in unconventional roles (riding a bike on a traffic-ridden road, ordering chai at a dhaaba) – unconventional in Pakistan perhaps. The rest of the world might have moved on?
The brand has taken on actress Sana Javed as the face of their campaign. This seems to be keeping with the tag line – ‘Let Women Be’, as the actress is known to take on strong women characters. Her latest drama roles have underlined her stance and perhaps her commercial choices are now shouting out the same message!
It is refreshing to note that a woman’s clothing label has taken on a campaign that focuses on women’s issues that doesn’t merely scratch the surface but goes deeper and that too, with a highly effective yet subtle orientation. The message resonates with thousands of girls in our society who step out every day to redefine boundaries, challenge gender roles, and try to achieve their dreams. The message might seem ordinary to some, but in Pakistan, it is perhaps extraordinary – It’s definitely time to Let Women Be – and let them be whoever and whatever they WANT to be!
