One of the most talked-about ads during the Super Bowl 2017 comes from Audi, which touted its commitment to gender equality and equal pay in a 60-second clip about a man and his daughter. Although it received praises from people from all walks of life, it was not an exemption from generating criticisms as well.
Pay equity towards men and women has become a big issue in the corporate boardrooms and politics. Several brands for years have used the advertising platforms to convey messages of gender equality and female empowerment, generally without sparking controversy. However, the recent ad of Audi has caused divided opinions from the viewers.
Audi’s Super Bowl Ad Receives More Criticisms
The controversial ad features a young girl competing in a cart race in her hometown while her dad is contemplating whether her worth will be measured by gender through provocative questions. The father is watching his daughter as she passes her race rivals, all of them boys, before finishing in the first place.
Audi’s new ad has then struck a nerve with most of the viewers since it was dropped on YouTube on Wednesday. In the clip, dubbed Daughter, the father starts asking questions such as “What do I tell my daughter? Do I tell her that her grandpa’s worth more than her grandma?”
He adds, “That her dad is worth more than her mom? Do I tell her that despite education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued less than every man she ever meets?” The father ends his thought while they head toward the Audi car saying, “Or maybe, I’ll be able to tell her something different.”
Currently, the spot accumulated over 12 million views on YouTube with more than 57 thousand likes and 69 thousand dislikes. Commentators found the ad a hundred percent trash and “anti-male” propaganda. They pointed out that it was a pure political hoopla and believed it to be “disingenuous coming from a brand that has never taken a stance on the topic in the past.”
One of the critics said, “The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963. Men and women get equal pay for equal work. Stop trying to capitalize on political ignorance.” Another wrote, “Audi, new champion of women’s equity at work, has no women on their board.” Several viewers have keenly observed that despite Audi’s perspective on gender equality, only two of the 14 members of its US executive board are women.
Audi Ad Gets Commendations Amid Internet Backlash
While the negative comments flooded the social media, there were people who actually supported the Audi ad. Positive critics found it to be “uplifting” and praised the company for addressing the gender issue in the corporate and political world.
Personalities like Octavia Spencer and Elizabeth Banks are among those who gave an affirmative remark to the heart-tugging ad. Google’s Tara Walpert Levy also tweeted her support for the company. PepsiCo global beverage group’s president, Brad Jakeman, weighed in with a praise of the spot.
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