EUNUCHS

TitleEUNUCHS
BrandHEAL FOUNDATION OF INDIA
Product / ServicePUBLIC AWARENESS SERVICES
CategoryA06. Best Use of Special Events And Stunt/Live Advertising
EntrantMcCANN WORLDGROUP INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Entrant Company:McCANN WORLDGROUP INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Advertising Agency:McCANN WORLDGROUP INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Media Agency:MRM New Delhi, INDIA

Credits

Name Company Position
Prasoon Joshi McCann Worldgroup India Creative Chief Officer
Manoj Singh McCann Worldgroup India Creative Director
Prasoon Joshi McCann Worldgroup India Copy Writer
Manoj Singh McCann Worldgroup India Copy Writer
Kushager Tuli McCann Worldgroup India Creative Supervision
Akshat Ghildial McCann Worldgroup India Creative Supervision
Nitin Pradhan McCann Worldgroup India Creative Supervision
Mayur Hola McCann Worldgroup India Creative Supervision
Shikha Sud McCann Worldgroup India Creative Supervision
Vineet Mahajan McCann Worldgroup India Art Director
Chetan Kukreti McCann Worldgroup India Art Director
Ankur Mondal McCann Worldgroup India Production

Results and Effectiveness

The idea touched a nerve somewhere, since every Indian at birth has been blessed by a eunuch. The media lapped it up and it soon became the talk of town, or shall we say the nation. Celebrities tweeted about it and a eunuch community created on the internet further invited support for the cause. In areas where the idea was executed, there has been a reversal of the trend. More girls are going to schools now. And the best part is that the overall sex ratio has stabilised in the last year.

Creative Execution

We decided to use eunuchs and their expertise for the very first time. We Indians believe that a eunuch's blessings are really powerful, that's why they're always a part of our celebrations, especially those after child birth. We asked them if they'd help us reach out to every doorstep and they agreed. In walked the eunuchs into every household where a girl child was born. Only this time, instead of singing popular Bollywood tunes, they sang especially composed songs in support of the girl child. These songs spoke of women achievers in India and about equality between the genders.

Insights, Strategy and the Idea

Deep rooted practices of female foeticide and infanticide across India have sent the country's sex ratio plummeting to abysmal lows. The want of a male child is so rampant across society that thousands of unborn foetuses and new born girls are condemned to a merciless death everyday day. The Government has done its bit through regulations and advertising, but hasn't been able to reverse this trend. No wonder then that India's sex ratio touched a shamefully skewed 1000:917 in 2010-11.