How YesMadam turned ‘Stare at Wives’ debate into smart marketing strategy

YesMadam, India’s leading tech-enabled home salon brand, has launched a unique marketing campaign that blends humor, cultural insights, and an irresistible beauty offer. Titled “Sundays: To Stare at Wives or Not? YesMadam Settles the Debate,” the campaign takes a lighthearted approach to work-life balance, featuring veteran actor Dalip Tahil as a workaholic CEO caught in an unexpected corporate dilemma.

With 500 free Korean Glow Clean-Ups every day, the campaign playfully highlights YesMadam’s latest offering while resonating with modern work culture. Adding to the entertainment quotient, the film stars popular influencers Jin Lim and Inwook Jung as Korean delegates, introducing a surprise twist to the narrative. Conceptualized by The Ridikulus and produced by Cineverse Collective, the campaign follows a mobile-first strategy, leveraging short-form videos for maximum digital engagement.

In conversation with Adgully, Mayank Arya, Co-founder of YesMadam, and Akashneel Dasgupta, Creative Head at The Ridikulus, delve into the brand’s vision, the creative thought process behind the campaign, and YesMadam’s innovative approach to making premium skincare more accessible. They also discuss the impact of humor in marketing and how YesMadam is redefining consumer engagement in the beauty industry.

Mayank Arya, Co-founder, YesMadam

What was the driving force behind YesMadam’s launch, and how do you envision the brand shaping the future of the home salon space in India?

YesMadam was born out of a personal experience that exposed a critical gap in the salon industry - lack of transparency and hygiene. When my brother Aditya and I discovered that our wives, Yukti and Garima, had faced skin reactions due to duplicate and refilled products during an at-home salon service, we knew this was a problem that needed solving.

What started as a solution to a personal concern soon turned into a mission to revolutionize the home salon space, ensuring women across the country receive safe, high-quality, and professional salon experiences at home.

Our core innovation-mono-dose product usage - was a game-changer, eliminating product duplication and ensuring 100% transparency in service execution. This has set new benchmarks in the industry.

Over the years, YesMadam has evolved from just a home salon service provider to a full-fledged tech-enabled beauty and wellness platform, offering affordability, convenience, and trust like never before.

Our vision is to expand beyond Tier 1 markets into Tier 2 cities, ensuring accessibility to premium salon services for all, while also diversifying our offerings with high-end treatments that were traditionally limited to luxury salons.

Technology remains at the core of our evolution, and we aim to integrate advanced beauty consultations and seamless user experiences to make YesMadam the go-to platform for personalized beauty and wellness solutions.

Beyond just business growth, we are committed to creating a sustainable ecosystem-empowering thousands of beauty professionals with financial independence, upskilling opportunities, and career growth.

Looking ahead, we aspire to be the undisputed leader in India’s home salon industry, setting global benchmarks in service innovation, customer experience, and industry best practices.

⁠The campaign "Sundays: To Stare at Wives or Not?" blends humor with a beauty offering. What was the strategic thought behind using humor to promote a service like skincare?

The landscape of marketing has evolved drastically - it's no longer just about visibility but about relevance. Brands that resonate with audiences do so by integrating into the content formats they already engage with daily.

Humor has proven to be a powerful tool for mass appeal, enabling shareability, memorability, and organic virality. A campaign that entertains has a far greater chance of making an impact beyond traditional brand communication.

As a bootstrapped brand, we have always focused on strategies that provide high returns with minimal expenditure. Humor-driven content aligns with this philosophy, as it naturally encourages engagement, discussion, and user-generated buzz.

Consumer behaviour has shifted - people today are more drawn to quirky, unconventional advertising than traditional, direct brand messaging. This campaign taps into that psyche, ensuring that YesMadam remains relevant and top-of-mind.

"Sundays: To Stare at Wives or Not?" was designed to be culturally relatable, breaking away from conventional skincare promotions while seamlessly integrating our latest Korean Clean-Up launch into the narrative.

The strategic intent was clear - make skincare a part of everyday conversations, using humor as the hook while subtly reinforcing our product’s relevance and value.

This approach allowed us to create significant brand recall, positioning YesMadam as not just a service provider but as a brand that understands and speaks the language of its audience.

Ultimately, this campaign was about more than just a product launch-it was about shifting the perception of beauty and self-care, making it feel approachable, fun, and engaging for the modern consumer.

⁠The offer of 500 free Korean Glow Clean-Ups every day is a unique initiative. What impact has this had on customer acquisition and brand awareness?

The response to our Korean Clean-Up launch has been phenomenal. The overwhelming demand validates both the effectiveness of the service and the trust customers place in YesMadam.

On February 7, 2025, when we introduced the 500 Free Korean Clean-Ups daily offer, the slots were fully booked within 3 minutes. The following day, they sold out in under 2 minutes - a testament to how eagerly customers embraced the service.

K-Beauty has revolutionized the skincare industry, and we wanted to democratize access to this trend by offering a high-quality Korean Glow Clean-Up, making it accessible to a wider audience.

This initiative wasn't just about giving away free services-it was a bold customer acquisition strategy. Within the first week, we witnessed a massive spike in-app traffic, driving a surge in both new installs and active users.

The campaign also accelerated brand awareness - our social media engagement skyrocketed, and YesMadam's search volume increased significantly compared to the previous month.

More than just numbers, this campaign positioned YesMadam as an industry disruptor, setting a new benchmark in customer-first beauty offerings while reinforcing our commitment to innovation.

The results speak for themselves - high conversion rates, increased lifetime value of customers, and stronger brand loyalty - proving that strategic generosity can drive exponential business growth.

⁠YesMadam has made significant strides in the beauty and wellness industry. How does the brand maintain its competitive edge in a rapidly growing market?

At YesMadam, our success stems from a relentless commitment to redefining beauty and wellness through a customer-first approach. From the outset, we aimed to revolutionize the industry by placing control directly in the hands of our customers, empowering them with the flexibility to choose their own products. This approach not only personalizes their experience but also positions YesMadam as a brand that values choice, transparency, and trust - key pillars that have shaped our unique value proposition.

Our transparent pricing model has been a game-changer in building lasting relationships with our customers. By clearly separating product and service charges, we’ve created an environment of trust where clients know exactly what they’re paying for. This level of honesty is rare in our industry and has been instrumental in fostering loyalty, as customers appreciate our commitment to delivering both quality and clarity. At the same time, our dedication to hygiene and safety remains unmatched, with a focus on using one-time-use, branded products for each service—an assurance of premium quality that sets us apart in a health-conscious market.

Equally important is our commitment to service partner empowerment. By offering the lowest commission rates in the industry and moving towards a 0% commission model, we ensure that our partners thrive financially, which in turn drives better service quality and customer satisfaction. Our forward-thinking approach doesn’t stop here—we are constantly innovating, integrating cutting-edge technology and advanced beauty treatments to stay ahead in this rapidly evolving space. Our vision is to not just lead the industry today but to continue shaping its future through relentless innovation and unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction.

⁠What does the future hold for YesMadam in terms of innovation or new services, and how do you plan to continue engaging your audience digitally?

At YesMadam, our future plans are rooted in our vision to transform the beauty and wellness industry while ensuring sustainable growth and innovation. Key strategies driving our expansion and innovation include:

According to Statista, the Indian skincare market was valued at approximately $11.4 billion in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% in the coming years, with the surge of K-beauty products being a key driver. As this trend continues to evolve, YesMadam is committed to bringing global innovations to Indian consumers, ensuring high-efficiency skincare solutions that meet their needs, our next big thing is going to be Hydra Facial which will enhance user experience and change the way we look at getting advanced treatments at home.

Launching Brick-and-Mortar Salons: We are thrilled to expand our presence by launching brick-and-mortar salon experiences. This strategic move allows us to create an omnichannel model that integrates and delivers a consistent, high-quality experience in both our online and offline services, offering customers the flexibility to enjoy YesMadam’s professional services. Whether clients opt for the convenience of at-home beauty services or prefer visiting one of our salons, they will experience the same level of professionalism, safety, and quality that defines YesMadam. This consistency strengthens our position as a trusted industry leader. 

Strategic Business Expansion into D2C: We strategically plan to expand our business into D2C (direct-to-customer industry) with our skincare and beauty care products (Organica Da Roma). We would like to leverage our brand strength and reach to cater to our customers' needs with our wide range of products. 

Strengthening our Franchise with Sustainable Growth: We are committed to sustainable business growth by empowering our customers with holistic transparency and personalized services. We also boost service partner empowerment, providing them with the tools, training, and opportunities to grow alongside the brand. This not only enhances service quality but also ensures our partners' success is intertwined with YesMadam's growth.

Driving Innovation and Future-Readiness: YesMadam will continue to push the boundaries of innovation by adopting cutting-edge technology and introducing revolutionary beauty treatments across verticals. Our focus remains on staying agile and responsive to emerging market trends while delivering forward-thinking, customer-centric solutions.

Team Ridikulus answers

Can you walk us through the creative thought process behind the "Sundays: To Stare at Wives or Not?" campaign?

At The Ridikulus, we thrive on creating organic opportunities for brands that multiply with the cultural fit and we were looking at something topical to associate with. And then the incident of a CEO talking about ‘staring at wife’ landed in our laps. It had a direct connection with ‘face’ and beauty which is all about Yes Madam’s free Korean Glow promo.

How did you want the audience to connect with the storyline?

Obviously, we wanted the audience to at least giggle if not laugh out loud. We were sure that the promo would land beautifully as it was set-up for it. The inclusion of the Hindi speaking Korean influencers added to the stickiness.

Humour plays a central role in this campaign. What challenges did you face while ensuring the humor complemented YesMadam’s beauty and wellness message?

Marrying the ‘staring at your wife’ idea with the Korean glow promo benefit was the bridge we created to connect the two and humour timing is everything. We had to ensure that it does not become gimmicky while being slapstick.

The casting of Dalip Tahil as a workaholic CEO brings a unique twist. How did you come up with this character, and what made him the perfect fit for this campaign?

A CEO who has grudges with his employees not turning up for work on Sunday. We needed someone who could carry such a character. Dalip Tahil was chosen amongst many other options as he has been hardly seen in advertising. We knew with him playing the CEO, attention was guaranteed. Also, he has this ability to look hard-nosed while being inherently funny.

The campaign uses a mobile-first, short-form video strategy. Why did you choose this approach, and how do you think it enhances the campaign’s engagement?

Reels are the new TVC’s today and that’s where our viewers are and what they want. It’s tapping into the practice of watching most videos on their phones, which demanded a vertical format. Going forward we think it will slowly become the norm in digital video content.

How do you see the role of influencer partnerships, like with Jin Lim and Inwook Jung, in amplifying the campaign’s reach and connecting with modern audiences?

Oh yes, collabs and casting influencers with interesting characters is the new hot button. On one hand they bring in the eyeballs and on the other their own reach. We could have taken any of the beauty influencers but when we found Jin & Jung, we were sure they would cut the clutter. So they were not just selling but had a story to tell.