Kinley as a brand has always focused on themes involving trust,
because in a way you trust them with your life when you decide to drink their
water! Their most recent campaign is another case in point. The beautiful
campaign stresses the importance of being truthful with the ones we love.
The ads feature kids telling their parents lies about their
whereabouts but end up “confessing” for the sake of their peace of mind. The ad
touches upon the emotional bond between parents and children and the importance
of trust in it. It’s a big deal to break that trust, though at transaction-al level there seems to be very little to lose. The ads have definitely generated a lot of
interest and has caught people’s attention because I have come across a few
parodies and that’s one way to judge the public interest. One of them
goes like this.
Boy: Dad, I told you that I am with a friend studying
Dad: yes?
Boy : I lied, I am having drinks with my friends
Dad : Why are you telling me now?
Boy :I wasn’t getting high because I had lied
On a serious note, I think the ad takes Indian relationships
to the next stage of evolution. Traditionally, the best way to ensure kids are
on the right track was prohibition, so much similar to everything else in our
society. However, we are turning a corner with many things and are getting it
right on more fundamental level; bring in the internal moral compass. A kid
should not break the trust of their parents because of fear of reprimand, but
because it is wrong and I think the ad does a good job of showing that
maturity.
The lies we tell people we trust are horrible, not because
of their immediate effect, but their potential to break the trust that is far
more valuable than the situation you are trying to salvage. Our conscience
weighs on us, forcing us to blurt out the truth, and for a good reason. Our gut
understands the value of upholding the trust as it forms the foundation of our relationships.
There is another class of lies that are dangerous equally,
if not more. These are lies that we tell ourselves. And “trust” me we lie to
ourselves more than anyone else because we are forever living with ourselves.
The lies we tell ourselves can be in any form, can originate due to a variety
of reasons, but in all cases these are things that take us away from who we are
– they take away our authenticity. It can be a voice advising you in office
that it’s dirty politics but sometimes we have to do it – so let’s play along
and you do; or a voice telling you that this is how everyone is supposed to be
and hence so should you when you don’t feel comfortable with it and yet you end
up being that! You convince yourself to be what your gut tells you not to be.
It is far more common than you think though really subtle
and usually influenced by people who are good and have noble intentions but end
up hurting you deeply. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good
intentions!
I have read sermons in the context of corporate
lessons that being authentic has a value in the long run even if it means in
short term you end up losing a little bit. It’s a good selling pitch but really
unnecessary, authenticity is a reward in itself, it doesn't need any other
crutch to sell it. Being truthful about you who are will form a stronger
foundation of your life than pretty much anything else. It is far better to be
happy and yourself than anything else, success, social status or any other form
of social index is completely irrelevant. It’s easier said than done, as we
have lived our lives forever bench-marking it based on others’ idea of success.
The way the kinley ad shows the next stage in the evolution of
our relationships, moving on from prohibition to trust, we need to turn a leaf
too. Take the target from success to happiness, from compliance to
authenticity.
Your intellect determines
where you start your life, being aware determines where you end.
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