Brands often tug at the heartstrings of societal issues to flaunt their bold, “socially responsible” side. And there are endless emotional chords to strike.
Sunfeast Mom’s Magic managed to stand out with its ‘Will of Change’ campaign, catching audiences off guard. They didn’t just tiptoe around a sensitive subject; they grabbed it by the horns. Tackling the hush-hush topic of equal inheritance—something we whisper about in our living rooms—they put it front and center, bringing the conversation to our social media feeds.
A part of it works, the rest doesn’t.
At the heart of the campaign is a film, directed by Sharat Kumar and produced by Crazy Few Films, starring Shefali Shah.
The story revolves around a father, Shekhar Verma, who is drafting his will to leave all his assets to his son because “betiyaan paraya dhan hoti hai”, an Indian saying that essentially means a daughter belongs to her husband and his family.
However, Shah’s character, the mother, steps in to challenge this choice, encouraging the father to reflect on the underlying bias of his decision.
“You remind me of my father,” she tells him and points out that while he affectionately calls his daughter ‘beta’ throughout the day, asking her many favours, he sees her as a ‘beti’ when it comes to inheritance.
Shah’s bold stand ties the whole narrative with the essence of the brand — mom’s magic.
The ‘Will of Change,’ campaign, created by Ogilvy Bengaluru, backs its initiative with data — only 7 per cent of daughters receive an equal inheritance through a will. By addressing an issue that has been rarely confronted in public discourse, Sunfeast Mom’s Magic demands change.
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The genius of this commercial lies in its execution. It’s not just a one-off ad but a 360-degree campaign designed to spark conversations.
Within nine days of its release, the three-minute clip has collected over 2.6 million views.
“Shefali does all the magic. Her expressions and dialogue delivery does it all,” read a comment. Another said, “Shefali mam, you are just so beautifully precious and awesome. Every time I watch you on screen, I feel proud, delighted, and teary, too. Please keep inspiring us. Thank you, Sunfeast.”
That said, there are some issues.
The intention is clear, but the product placement—the biscuits—felt forced, almost like a last-minute decision. To make the connection between the initiative and the biscuits, the copywriters threw in a tired cliché, with Shah saying: “Dimag se nhi, dil se sochiye” (Don’t think with your mind, think with your heart), referencing the heart shape on the biscuits.
However, the brand seems to have overlooked the deeper implications of the statement. It subtly suggests that giving equal inheritance to daughters isn’t a matter of logic or fairness, but something to be done out of sheer affection, undermining the whole purpose and intention of the brand’s campaign.
While the mom’s stance aligns with the “Mom’s Magic” brand essence, it misses the mark for the audience. Why is it always the mother’s job to police the father’s morals? Why does the burden of doing the right thing constantly fall on her?
Had the son stepped in, standing up for his sister’s inheritance—that would’ve hit harder. A moment of shared responsibility and support, instead of just leaning on the mother to play the moral compass, would resonate more deeply with the audience.
Lack of impact
While the commercial did manage to draw solid engagement on YouTube, it’s hard to ignore the numbers on the ground.
So far, the brand has only gathered about 2,200 signatures on its ‘Will of Change’ website—hardly a breakthrough. The site also features a poem, ‘Agar Maa Vasiyat Banati,’ beautifully narrated by Shah.
Yet, the one-minute-seven-second YouTube video has barely scraped past 200 views on YouTube. Declaring the campaign a success based solely on its emotional appeal would be jumping the gun. Maybe the execution missed the mark? Maybe the audience engaged solely with Shah’s performance?
“A great idea needs equally powerful execution. We are extremely happy that Shefali Shah is a central part of the campaign that will make the views re – evaluate their stance on an important issue,” said Ali Harris Shere, Chief Operating Officer, Biscuits & Cakes Cluster of the brand.
Credits
Creative Agency: Ogilvy Bengaluru
Creative Team: Mansha Arora, Nithish Kurian, Suzanna Mathew, Sakshi Yadav, Nirupama Harikumar, Radhika Sarpotdar, Ayush Koshy, Gururaj Biradar
Director: Sharat Kumar
Production House: Crazy Few Films
Views are personal.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)