In a new campaign by Home Centre, it’s revealed that 15% of households in the Middle East are comprised of blended families due to remarriages. However, the remarriage of women remains a taboo subject, often overshadowed by social and cultural biases. The brand aims to address this issue head-on. This campaign marks the beginning of a larger initiative that not only honors stepfathers but also initiates a conversation about remarriage within the Arab world. The centerpiece of this campaign is a three-minute film.
The film narrates the journey of a child who experiences fear, disgust, anguish, and confusion upon encountering a perceived evil creature—a symbol of his mother’s remarriage. Initially, the child views the creature as a threat to his mother’s love and the sanctity of their home. However, as time passes, his perception evolves, and he eventually embraces the creature as his stepfather.
The track behind the film is an original soundtrack, written and composed for this film. Titled “the lighthouse and the boat”, the song is told through the metaphor of a lighthouse and a boat, encompassing the relationship between two people – a stepfather and a son – two worlds apart, trying to fill a missing gap in their life.
The broader initiative has involved a content series by a prominent psychologist – Dr. Saliha Afridi – around the journey of remarriage, news features about the topic, as well as social content to create awareness and drive support for the topic.
“With many homes in the region being homes where women have remarried and stepfathers exist, yet no brand and no media having spoken about this topic, was an gap that needed to be addressed. And Home Centre stepped up,” said a release.
