We already posted an article about the illusion of gender biased toys sometime back, in the same context the world’s most powerful toy brand LEGO recently campaigned “Ready for Girls“. With a goal to Rebuild the World with catch phrases like “Get girls ready for the world”, and thus “Get the world ready for girls”. So this time we are not dwelling into the Shastra, rather it is about awakening awareness amongst innocent parents on how marketing campaigns brainwash the masses.
As per their press release, the new research commissioned by the LEGO Group, which surveyed nearly 7,000 parents and children aged 6-14 years old in China, Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, Russia, UK and USA highlights the need for society to rebuild perceptions, actions and words to support the creative empowerment of all children.
Children featured in this campaign are Fatima & Shaikha from UAE, Chelsea from USA, and Mahiru from Japan. It’s no brainer to find a common thread behind the selection of these children based on the yardstick often used for selecting the winners of Beauty Pageant competitions. Meaning, at times the titles like Miss World and Miss Universe are deliberately awarded to the candidates from the countries which have a great potential for cosmetic and beauty industries. Same is the case if we analyze the profiles of these children, two girls from conservative countries like UAE, a black girl from the USA and one from Japan. Pretty old technique of opening the back door of otherwise heavily guarded forts, for more business opportunities. Interestingly, out of four children featured in this campaign two are from UAE, the non-surveyed country!
The point is if we start falling for such marketing gimmicks, specially in the case of our children, we are making a big mistake. It’s not the case of LEGO nor limited to toys, but in general any brand will go to any extent to promote their products. It may not be completely unethical if we analyze it from their point of view, they must be doing it all with great dedication to expand their businesses and capture new avenues. In light of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, being situated in the mode of Vaishya (traders) they are destined to do it.
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप ।
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणै: ॥
The duties of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—are distributed according to their qualities, in accordance with their guṇas (and not by birth). BG 18.41
They will definitely succeed in their product promotion mission, considering the current social scenario devoid of Dharma. What happens to these kids and their families afterwards is not their business. It is the business of the parents to protect their children from all types of false attractions. We the parents must impart enough of intelligence in our children to distinguish what is right for them and not to be allured by such illusory gimmicks. It is clearly explained in Shrimad Bhagavatam the duty of becoming a real parent, else be ready for worse.
गुरुर्न स स्यात्स्वजनो न स स्यात्
पिता न स स्याज्जननी न सा स्यात् ।
दैवं न तत्स्यान्न पतिश्च स स्या-
न्न मोचयेद्य: समुपेतमृत्युम् ॥
That guru is not a guru, that relative is not a relative, that father is not a father, that mother is not a mother, that demigod is not a worshipable demigod and that husband is not a husband, if he cannot liberate his dependent from the path of repeated birth and death. SB 5.5.18
Image credit, LEGO Group.
ShastraKrida 