India – For women, it is a fact that there are structural and systemic barriers that get in the way of reaching senior leadership roles, especially for mothers, who have been on a maternity break. In this year’s celebration of Mothers’ Day, Indian jewelry brand Tanishq has launched a new campaign that aims to inspire moms to return to work.
The campaign was conceptualised by the new indie agency Talented, which was founded by former Webchutney CEO and CCO duo, Gautam Reghunath and PG Aditiya, and created in partnership with advertising film production Superfly Films.
Titled ‘The Interview’, the film flips the narrative around the maternity penalty, offering a whole new perspective on what the maternity break actually means – an experience that can present a real competitive advantage at work, a bootcamp in leadership.
Ranjani Krishnaswamy, Tanishq’s general manager of marketing, shared that the woman of today is seeking to express herself with honesty and authenticity to confidently celebrate her realities, and she’s thriving in her vulnerability while rising in her power to change her world.
“The brand believes these powerful stories build positive momentum in cultivating a world of equality and adding to her self growth. This film is an ode to women who challenge set narratives and inspire many others to follow the change,” said Krishnaswamy.
Meanwhile, Binaifer Dulani, Talented’s founding member and creative, noted that this is a long-overdue conversation in India, and Mother’s Day felt like a moment as good as any to further this narrative.
“Studies reveal that it will take at least 136 years to close the global gender pay gap, and one of the biggest factors for this is the lack of representation of women in senior leadership. We need more workplaces to see beyond the dominant culture, value the incredible leadership transformation mothers undergo, and create equity for women so that they can make their comeback,” said Dulani.
Kopal Naithani, Superfly Films’ founder and director, said that a maternity break is not easy, it tests mothers at every level, and has a transformative effect, and there’s so much fear about what life will be like after, for working women.
“I hope our character, Radhika inspires more mothers to add ‘Life Bootcamp’ to their own resumes and negotiate for better, more powerful roles when they make their comeback to work. At Superfly Films, furthering the arc on progressive womanhood is core to our mission, and we’re honoured to partner with Talented and Tanishq to put this discourse out there and inspire action,” added Naithani.
