Rasode Mein Mard Hai - A Social Initiative Launched By BL Agro

BL Agro Industries is a food manufacturing and edible oil company. Bail Kolhu is the flagship brand of BL Agro Industries. Recently, the brand has launched a social initiative with its “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign. 

In Indian society, it is a deep-rooted stereotype that the kitchen is solely a woman’s job and responsibility. Even in households where women work, it is considered their responsibility to cook meals for the family and husband. This gender stereotype has hampered the chances of women's growth as educated and financial independence for far too long. 

With Bail Kolhu and brand Nourish propagating gender equality in the kitchen, it is likely to change the perspective of so many people. 

The “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign stars revered Indian actors including Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, and Pankaj Tripathi. 

The TV commercial promotes Bail Kolhu- a long-standing mustard oil marketed in the campaign. The ad positions to convey that Bail Kolhu is the best choice when it comes to mustard oil with phrases such as “kya chuna aapne asli swaad ke liye? Bail Kolhu." 

The messaging of the ad goes further than marketing the mustard oil. It uses visuals to propagate a revolutionary concept #RasodeMeinMardHai, which signifies that men ought to shoulder the kitchen responsibilities. It is not the sole responsibility of women. 

To showcase the same, Manoj Vajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui can be seen cooking with Bail Kolhu in the commercial. Their lines such as "mazedar swaad unhi ko milta hai jinka kaam bolta hai, aim to normalize the presence of men in the kitchen. The leading men can be further seen giving 3 separate meals to their families on what seems like a celebratory occasion.

Leads Brand Connect - a leading digital marketing agency - came up with this concept of putting men in the kitchen. The idea is to break away from stereotypes that have enabled them to get excused from cooking. 

The advertising campaign normalizes men taking up the bulk of responsibilities in the kitchen. Generally, it is considered a woman’s job to take care of everything from planning to prepping, serving, and finally cleaning up. Men should feel a responsibility to share the workload in the kitchen from stove to sink.

Since the advent of advertising campaigns for the food industry, it is women who get portrayed working in the kitchen vouching for the advertised product. Such visuals can have adverse ramifications on society. Women deal with unrealistic expectations of taking care of the home and family while working and contributing to household income simultaneously. 

Hopefully, such innovative advertising concepts will at least start the discussion of expecting men to contribute to the kitchen. The “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign does not aim to make radical changes such as reversing gender roles or promoting cooking skills among men. 

Functional beliefs are rooted deep in any society and cannot be obliterated with an advertising campaign. These topics are complex and need immediate attention to change the mindset of people. However, advertising is a visual medium and most of the time visuals represent an image of society. With social initiatives such as these, that image is likely to mold if not change completely.

The “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign tells a unique story and pushes a sense of change and responsibility among men to take initiative in the kitchen. 

The brand ambassador and the lead in Bail Kolhu’s campaign, Pankaj Tripathi said that he is lending his voice to shape a new narrative and smash the preconceived notion that women need to own all responsibilities in the kitchen. The Kitchen is not a woman’s job and should not be seen as one. It is the thought that the “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign aims to provoke.

The concept aims not to just liberate women from the confines of the kitchen but to challenge the convention that cooking is the sole responsibility of a woman rather than a collective duty. The actor further stated that the “Rasode Mein Mard Hai” campaign is a subtle attempt to break gender stereotypes and advocate for an inclusive and progressive culture. 

Ghanshyam Khandelwal, the Chairman of BL Agro stated that they are trying to open doors for a time when children grow up watching both parents cooking in the kitchen. 

Ashish Khandelwal, the Managing Director of BL Agro said “Bail Kolhu is a long-standing brand with recall value rooted in consumers. So, our vision with the TVC went beyond generating brand lift and into advocating the #RasodeMeinMardHai concept, and we couldn’t have found a better fit to champion the social cause than Pankaj Tripathi, Manoj Bajpayee, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Their persona and journeys are very apropos of the initiative, which is why the message we wanted to convey comes out very naturally and effectively."

Hopefully, such a well thought and curated campaign will not only put Bail Kohlu- a premium quality mustard oil - on every food enthusiast’s kitchen counter but start a conversation around gender equality at home.