Vicks Defy Stereotypes with Transgender Mother Ad

Cough and cold remedy brand Vicks has just launched a new campaign called Touch of Care which reinforces the importance of care giving while also challenging, and attempting to redefine, what family is in comtemporary society.

Created by Publicis Singapore, the three-and-a-half-minute film tells the true story of an orphaned girl called Gayatri, whose point of view we see the story from. She is adopted by a person she refers to in the film as 'mom'. Gayatri is full of praise, love and respect for her adoptive parent but it's only at the end of the film that we find out that her mom, Gauri, is a transgender woman.

The story illustrates the challenges Gauri faced, and continues to face, as a person with fewer rights than many and reiterates that family today is not always as tightly defined as it once was. That with the changing face of life across India and an increasing number of people living away from their traditional environments, the idea of family now goes far beyond just biological connections or sharing a surname. 

“Looking for a way to express this powerful idea was both a heartening and humbling experience," says Ajay Thrivikraman, CCO, Global Clients, Publicis Singapore. "We realised that stories of extraordinary care are all around us in real life, and we are honoured that Gauri and Gayatri gave us an opportunity to share their story of care with the world.”

The campaign launches on March 30 with the Vicks #Touch of Care film [top], supported by a range of digital and PR activity that will be led by Unruly and 2020 MSL respectively.