By Team IMPACT
Marry, have babies and let the community flourish – that is the message of the Jiyo Parsi campaign launched by the Parzor Foundation and Bombay Parsi Punchayat, along with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Federation of Zoroastrian Anjumans of India under the aegis of the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MOMA), Government of India.
According to Census figures, the strength of the Parsi community is only 69,000 in India’s over one billion population. The population has declined around 39% in the past 60 years. The campaign aims to stem the decline by raising awareness, and urges Parsi couples to get medical help under the Jiyo Parsi scheme that funds infertility treatment to stabilize and increase the population of Parsis in India.
Using humor as a means of communicating the grave issue, Madison World has created a series of Print commercials for the campaign to reach out to the Parsi youth. “We are very excited about this campaign. Parsis have a great sense of humour and we have used humour to tackle a very serious issue and drive a mindset change amongst young Parsis,” says Lara Balsara, Executive Director, Madison World, who took the stage to showcase details of the campaign at the launch event.
“Sometimes, a serious theme like the subject of the Jiyo Parsi campaign needs a not-so-serious approach to delivering the message. The campaign attempts to do just that, tongue firmly in cheek. Hopefully, we will achieve that objective and more Parsi babies will come into the world,” says Raj Nair, Chief Creative Officer, Madison, who conceptualized and created the Print ads.
The campaign has received mixed reactions, with taglines such as ‘Be responsible. Don’t use a condom tonight’ provoking objection from some quarters. Others have raised the concern that women are being talked of as ‘baby-making machines’. But the positive response has been over-riding, and Jiyo Parsi is being discussed as a strong step to bolster the Parsi community, an integral part of the cultural fabric of India.
“I am delighted at the widespread response to our campaign even before it is launched. Every national daily and channel has covered it. Lots of strong positive responses and a few sharp negatives (why a communal campaign?), all in all, the hallmark of a good campaign,” states Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World, who has rallied his strength behind the campaign.
