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The recently released advert for car company Audi, which features the mother-of-the-groom closely inspecting the would be bride, and goes on to draw a comparison to second hand cars, has been labelled as sexist and to perpetuate steroetypes.
The advert opens on a typical bridal scene, but is promptly interrupted. The aforementioned mother-of-the-groom pulls at the brides ears, peers into her mouth and eyes, before being restrained. It then cuts to a scene of a second hand car, followed by the text:
“An important decision must be made carefully”.
See the video below:
The metaphor has drawn wide critisim across the internet due to its mysogynistic unertones, as well as it stereotype of a chinese mother-of-the-groom as domineering. One forum user asked “Has Audi lost its mind”, and another ‘I am not a woman and I am disgusted”. Others have called upon a boycott of the manafacturer, which is one of China’s three biggest car companys.
In light of the backlash, the Chinese Audi Publicity Department launched an investigation of the advert, which was produced with a joint venture partner, and has subsequently issued an apology.
The situation has occured in close proximity to the questioning of inequal gender pay at the BBC following the publishing of wages at the company, and changes to UK Advertising Standards Agency. The latter relates to advertisements which support gender steretypes, such as the mother of a family doing all the chores in the household.
Check out similarly sexist ads, which are worryingly alligned with Donald Trump quotes here.
