Pond’s transforms ancient art into a living canvas for sun protection with ‘Sun Portraits’

India’s leading skincare brand, Pond’s has launched ‘Sun Portraits,’ a campaign that turns traditional Rajasthani art into a powerful, living demonstration of sun damage. Built on cultural craft and a strong human insight, the campaign delivers a powerful piece of visual storytelling in Indian skincare marketing this year. 

Set in Phalodi, Rajasthan where temperatures regularly soar to 51°C, ‘Sun Portraits’ commissioned artists skilled in Phad to paint life-size portraits of the women of Phalodi directly onto the walls of their own homes. The twist: the paint used was specially treated to be UV-sensitive. 

As the Phalodi sun bore down on these portraits’ day after day, the paintings began to visibly deteriorate, fading, blemishing, and discolouring in real time, mirroring the effects of prolonged UV exposure on the very women they depicted. Each portrait carried a message residents could witness every single day: sun protection is not optional. 

What distinguishes ‘Sun Portraits’ is its refusal to talk at its audience. Rather than deploying statistics or conventional advertising, Pond’s embedded the message of sun damage into something the women of Phalodi already lived with – their homes, their art, their daily routines. By working with artists skilled in Phad, the campaign ensured that the medium itself was an act of community participation. 

The portraits are created using paint treated to be UV sensitive in a centuries-old art style. Over time, they visibly change under the sun, showing the effects of sun damage and what sunscreen can help prevent. In doing so, the campaign goes beyond advertising, becoming a form of public awareness, education, and cultural collaboration. 

“Sun Portraits’ is a reflection of our belief that true impact lies not in telling people what to do, but in helping them experience why it matters,” said Pratik Ved – Vice President – Skincare, HUL “By transforming a daily, invisible risk into a visible and evolving piece of art within their own homes, we’ve made sun protection both personal and immediate. Rooted in cultural relevance and community participation, this campaign goes beyond awareness to spark a lasting shift in mindset-encouraging people to see sun protection not as an option, but as an essential everyday habit.” 

Tanuja Bhat, Senior Executive Creative Director & Creative Head-Beauty & Luxury (West) Ogilvy & Mather added, “In heartland India, narratives are etched in culture, art and tradition. We decided to use that language to create ‘Sun Portraits’ an awareness campaign that brings out the sun’s impact on skin, in a simple yet powerful way. It’s our attempt to show women who toil for hours in the sun, what their skin can turn into, if not protected from its harmful rays.”