On Daughter’s Day, shampoo brand Clinic Plus decided to shake things up with a heartfelt TV commercial that dives deep into the sons-over-daughters bias in Indian society.
What makes the new Clinic Plus ad unique is a simple yet powerful premise—a mother wishing for a daughter. It’s not something you often hear. People usually wish for a son or just say they want a healthy baby. A mother praying for a daughter is a big shift in the conversation.
Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, the ad begins with a traditional god bharai (baby shower). Women are singing and dancing, showering blessings on an expectant mother, but the focus is on one wish—a baby boy. The soon-to-be mother, however, seems lost in her own thoughts. The emotional punch comes when she begins a monologue to her unborn child.
“When someone talks to me, do you secretly listen to them? If someone tells me I’ll have a son, do you take it to heart? Don’t listen to what people say. Your mother has prayed for you, don’t forget that,” start the opening lines, in Hindi. “Tum aana toh beti ban ke aana” (When you come, come as my daughter).
The whole monologue runs for over three minutes and is bound to leave you teary-eyed.
While many brands have already tackled issues around the girl child—whether it’s education or empowerment—the Clinic Plus ad manages to take an old theme and deliver it with a fresh, emotional twist that hits home.
The video YouTube has raked in over 10 million views in just six days, and the comments are flooded with emotion.
“Beautiful video. Wonderful lines. Heart-touching,” said one user. Another admitted, “I usually skip ads, but this is the first time I’ve watched one multiple times.” And a third wrote: “This left me in tears.”
And it’s not just the monologue, the performance too is spot-on. The mother’s expressions and her impactful narration can give goosebumps.
With this commercial, Clinic Plus isn’t just selling hair products. It’s calling for a cultural shift. It’s encouraging families to celebrate daughters with the same enthusiasm they have for sons. By normalising the wish for a girl child, the campaign empowers expecting mothers to say, “Beti ban ke aana” (Come as my daughter).
Also Read: WeWork has the perfect hook for its new ad—stifling offices, deceitful bosses
Mother-daughter bond
This isn’t the first time Clinic Plus has struck an emotional chord. In 2019, the brand’s messaging took a deeper, more poignant turn to connect with the audience.
Since that year, the brand’s #MeriBetiStrong campaign, celebrating the special bond between mothers and daughters, has been running strong. It highlighted how mothers empower their daughters to make bold choices—decisions they never had the chance to make themselves. It was a tribute to all the mothers raising fearless daughters.
In 2022, the brand built on this theme, portraying moms urging their daughters to shine even when society tries to hold them back. With 28 million views, this Clinic Plus ad also resonated widely.
Last year, the brand tackled the issue of domestic violence with a heart-wrenching film where a daughter pleads for strength to protect her mother from her father’s abuse. Garnering 5.2 million views on YouTube, the ad powerfully encouraged women to raise strong daughters capable of facing life’s harshest realities.
Also Read: Saudi Arabia has embraced football but this Nike ad is making sure women don’t miss out
Haircare with a heart?
Brands taking a stand for the girl child isn’t new. We’ve seen Nestlé India’s “Nanhi Kali,” Mahindra Group’s “Ladki Hath Se Nikal Jayegi,” and Whisper India’s “Keep Girls in School.” These commercials focused on education for girls, touching upon different issues that lead to them dropping out of school, from biological challenges to societal pressures.
Then, back in 2016, there was Inox Movies’ “Raise the Flag,” which addressed female infanticide directly. That campaign featured actress Shabana Azmi in a powerful 40-second clip, calling for action against female infanticide. While the ad was impactful, it didn’t quite leave a lasting impression as Inox further failed to further build on the campaign.
When it comes to exploring the unique mother-daughter bond, no other haircare brand has done it quite like Clinic Plus.
While Head & Shoulders has stuck to its tried-and-true formula of star-studded endorsements—featuring Kareena Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Ranveer Singh, and Mrunal Thakur—its focus has always been on dandruff, hair fall, and promoting silky, strong hair.
L’Oréal, with its famous “5 problems, one solution” tagline, and Pantene, highlighting the benefits of its shampoo, have followed a similar route.
Although Dabur Amla did try take on social biases—such as how girls often receive less attention at home, or face judgment at work based on their looks—it failed to take these important conversations further.
Clinic Plus, in contrast, has sustained its messaging around empowering women to raise strong daughters since its campaign launched four years ago. The brand has consistently evolved this narrative, touching on different aspects of that bond, setting it apart in the crowded haircare space.
In its latest outing, the poetic monologue effectively uses emotion to challenge the deeply rooted gender bias in our society.
The only hint to shampoo comes at the end, with a voiceover saying: “Only a mother can make her daughter strong from the roots.”
Brand: Clinic Plus
Agency: Ogilvy India
(Edited by Asavari Singh)