Once in a while, we come across ads that we just cannot skip. We do not walk away in between programs to get our chores done. We do not change the channel. Most of the time, they are those ads that challenge stereotypes. Because the ones that do not challenge the stereotypes, chances are we have seen some rendition of it, and hence, they are not exactly new for us. We have listed five amazing Pakistani Ads that challenged stereotypes, and we did not get bored!
1. Shan – One Biryani One Family
One Biryani One Family is a Shan Ad that shows a man meeting his girl’s family for the first time. The family belongs to Punjab, and they idealize that toxic definition of masculinity. They tease the man for not being healthy, athletic, and being emotional. But events take such a turn that he offers to cook for them. The idea that a man offers to cook showed the ad denouncing that cooking is a woman’s responsibility.
2. Dostea
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=10155166312876464
Dostea aired a series of Pakistani ads. It was the story of a joint family. In one of the installments, they introduce family members and tell us about their careers. With each member, the ad topples a stereotype. For instance, they show the mother to be interested in hunting while the father to be involved in poetry. In another instance, they show one son to be involved in cooking, but his wife is a practicing doctor. And lastly, instead of looking down on the new girl’s hobby of guitar, they appreciate it.
3. Shoop – Trust to Must hai
Okay, so this stereotype is pretty standard. It is so much embedded in our minds that we do not think twice of it. Men will do house errands. Getting groceries or Rotis, moms tell dads or sons to get them. But in this ad, the girl defies two extreme stereotypes. As the mother worries about groceries, her daughter gets up and does so by taking out her bike, a vehicle that most Pakistanis think is not made for girls.
4. Q Mobile –
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=search&v=1069063386520407
This Q Mobile’s ad is about a girl interested in cricket. Her father does not want her to continue with it because he thinks that the sport is not for women. He believes that if her daughter continues playing, it will ruin his reputation. But instead of being quietened, the girl stands up for herself and keeps pursuing her dream. When she achieves success, and people appreciate her, that is when the father realizes that he was wrong.
5. Gul Ahmed – Mein Perfect Hoon
Too fat, too slim, spots on face, slanted nose, the stereotype is that girls should hide all this because they are imperfections and girls should be perfect. This fantastic ad empowers women with those exact characteristics that they have been bashed with because it is all in the mindset. If we start believing we are perfect with our imperfections, no one will have the courage to tell us we are not. So instead of girls taking all the comments quietly as they are expected to, this ad tells us that they don’t have to.
These amazing Pakistani ads are not only exciting but also thought-provoking. In a society where stereotypes have taken root for a long time no, these ads are like a breath of fresh air. One can only hope that these breaths will increase in number to become a breeze and, ultimately, a storm that breaks all stereotypes.
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