Sexual harassment at work isn't funny: Shine.com ad campaign ki #LagGayiVaat

Ever done something so embarrassing or wrong at work that you were kicked out? If yes, then it’s okay you can get another job, even if your mistake was as unethical as eve-teasing.

That’s the concept of the new ad campaign released by job-hunting app Shine.com, which claims to be India’s second largest jobs site. The series of ads, titled Lag gayi vaat (You’re in trouble), show an average Joe, played by comedian Javed Jaffrey who is kicked out of office after being caught doing something he isn’t supposed to do.

So we have Jaffrey peeing in a pot because the restroom was shut, accidentally bad touching his boss’s wife at a wedding and, wait for it, ogling at a female colleague during a meeting. After much shaming by his colleagues and angry stares from his boss, Jaffrey leaves and is met with a life-size, well dressed mouse who tells him “Dost, life main lag gayi vaat, so what? Download Shine.com mobile app, ab tum jaha, jobs waha.”

Here is the problem - while the concept is clear and gets the message across, the method isn’t the best way to portray the genuine workplace problem of sexual harassment. In the ‘Day Dreaming’ ad, Jaffrey literally day dreams about his good-looking female colleague who is conducting a meeting and makes kissy faces at her till the ‘bubble is broken’ and another disgusted colleague says “How cheap sir!”

This ad sticks out because the other two show scenarios where Jaffrey was fired for doing something beyond his control but this one is a tasteless way of saying that it’s okay if you’re caught disrespecting a woman at work and are fired for it, you’ll get another job and chance to eve-tease. The human-mouse actually says ‘So what" which is possibly the worst way to tackle sexual harassment at work.

Shine.com actually tweets saying, “Caught day-dreaming while at work? Not to Worry.”

If it was only about day-dreaming them why not show Jaffrey thinking about food or drink or even dozing during a meeting? Why focus on him having not-so-appropriate thoughts about a woman who is actually leading the meeting?

Overall however, the #LagGayiVaat  campaign was well received online, becoming the top trend on Twitter and being shared by celebrities such as Saina Nehwal, Mandira Bedi and Soha Ali Khan. And two out of three ads are actually quite funny actually, enhanced by Jaffrey’s comic timing and the melodramatic voice-over. The ‘kamzor’ ad where the protagonist is desperate to answer nature’s call is particularly hilarious.

If you're thinking about quitting your job, this TVC is a must-watch:https://t.co/zGWaqei3Ds

Share it & enjoy! #LagGayiVaat

— Saina Nehwal (@NSaina) June 10, 2015

This ad has left me in splits! Have you guys watched it yet? https://t.co/tmY6WYHYzo
Now say #LagGayiVaat!

— mandira bedi (@mandybedi) June 10, 2015

So if you guys ever screw up at work, now you know what to do!  https://t.co/J87ZguJBeK
What do you guys think? #LagGayiVaat

— Soha Ali Khan (@sakpataudi) June 10, 2015

Watch the ‘Day dreaming’ ad here

You can watch the other two ads here