Calcutta Times is back with No Conditions Apply

Calcutta Times, published by the Times of India Group is back with the second leg of the No Conditions Apply campaign, which created immense noise on social media during this Durga Puja and was lauded by experts.

The campaign is conceptualized by FCB Ulka, propagates the fact that tradition should not be bound by division. Sindoor Khela, the popular tradition of Bengalis, is usually played by married women and objections are raised by the society, when others, every time  a widow, prostitute or a transgender, try to be part of the ritual .In the first video, the brand urged people to forget their differences and be part of the movement by sending a double-dot selfie.

The new video talks about how Calcutta Times successfully, created the age old tradition of division to a new tradition of sisterhood. It has crossed 3 million views on Facebook already.

“This movement wasn’t for those who had opted out. It was for those who had been pushed out. It was about erasing a line not drawn by them, but by others. About two dots of red with no barrier in between. Me & my other sister. My transgender sister. My widowed sister. My sex worker sister. My outlier sister. It was about equality in symbology. Because after all, that is where it all begins and where it all flows back to. Every progressive, inclusive thought is only as powerful as the ritual it permeates. At least in a country like India – where ritual is everything” said Swati Bhattacharya, Chief Creative Officer, FCB Ulka.

Shedding light on the theme, Rohit Ohri, Group Chairman and CEO, FCB India said, “I have a special connection with this campaign. Having been born and brought up in Kolkata, Durga Puja was something I always looked forward to in my growing up years. Sarbojanin Durga Puja was how I always remembered it. Sarbojanin means for everyone. So Durga Puja was for everyone but Sindoor Khela wasn’t. Swati, Chief Creative Officer FCB Ulka and a feminist, created this campaign about social inclusion for TOI. Inclusion cannot be conditional. And so #noconditionsapply was the perfect articulation to spark off this behaviour change campaign.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sumeli Chatterjee, Vice President, Brand TOI said, “#NoConditionsApply is an initiative that is close to our heart and existence. There is a lot of talk of diversity of gender, this highlights the need to have diversity even within the gender. While we have hosted this inclusive Shindoor Khela initiative in Kolkata, the messaging is relevant to every occasion and every festivity. When we talk of Gender Equity, we cannot limit our conversations to only ambition and opportunities; we need to talk about inclusion in Festivals, Celebrations and every walk of life that will allow everyone to walk that step together. No Celebration can every be complete without including one and all.”

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