MAM
Ariel’s #ShareTheLoad campaign focuses on women’s sleep deprivation issues due to household work
MUMBAI: While most ads propagated the notion that women bear all the brunt of housework, Ariel India was the first to break that stereotype a few years ago. The successful #ShareTheLoad campaign revolved around the unequal division of domestic chores, urging men to take up more responsibility. Continuing its mission, the fourth edition of the campaign, #EqualSleep, addresses the issue of sleep deprivation due to excessive household work which affects 71 per cent of women.
Let’s rewind. In 2015, Ariel India raised a triggering question ‘Is laundry only a woman’s job?’ followed by ‘Dads Share the Load’ in 2016. This helped locate the root cause and the stigma of prejudice passed down from one generation to the next. In 2019, it started to drive action with sons urging parents to raise them like they have been raising their daughters, so that the future generation is more equal.
P&G India CMO and fabric care head for the Indian subcontinent Sharat Verma says that the aim of #EqualSleep is to highlight how women compromise their sleep, downtime, rest and personal time to provide her very best to the family and her career.
“Even within progressive households, where men have started to increase their involvement in domestic chores, the woman still takes the onus of getting everything done; the mental load is still only hers. When men don’t share the load, what ends up getting impacted is something as basic as sleep. Lack of sleep is, thus, almost an indicator of the inequality within the household. Hence, with this chapter, Ariel seeks to drive action, urging men to take the first step to #ShareTheLaundry and eventually, #ShareTheLoad for #EqualSleep,” he says.
An Ariel India survey found that from 79 per cent men in 2014 who thought laundry was only a woman’s job, the number has steadily declined to 41 per cent in 2019. However, even today, only 35 per cent of men contribute daily to household chores. In a survey, most men agree that washing clothes in a machine are the easiest chore for them to start taking over.
Verma went on to add that the campaign shifted from showing that men weren’t sharing the load to showing how this decision impacts women. Uneven division of household chores like laundry is coming in the way of women getting enough sleep and rest with at least one hour of sleep that these women give up every day, over seven days that accounts to almost an entire night’s sleep that is lost every week, due to the uneven distribution of domestic responsibility
The film, conceptualised by BBDO, is depicted from the eyes of a little girl devoid of any conditioning; she notices her mom is missing at night while she is asleep and continues to notice her running around doing multiple things, tired and sleepy. The father’s moment of realisation is also in a way driven by the daughter missing her mom at night.
BBDO India chairman Josy Paul said, “We started with ‘the condition' in 2015 – Is laundry only a woman’s job? In 2019 we focused on the younger generation, who if raised in a balanced manner, will grow up to be a generation of equals. This year, we make men realise the severe impact on their partners/ wives when they don’t share the load at home i.e., unequal sleep.”
With every passing year, both BBDO and Airel have the challenge of coming up with the next round of an impactful #ShareTheLoad campaign. How do they manage it? “When thinking of the next leg, we realign ourselves with the evolved cultural context of current times. Society today is not the same as it was two years ago. Similarly, family and couple dynamics are not the same. So, we have to root ourselves in the reality of today. As a creative team, when we observe society, we see laundry as one of those daily chores where the distribution of load is uneven. Laundry, here, is the face of the movement,” Paul concludes.
MAM
BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
