Advertising... screwing the message

[neonlyte]

A recent TV advertisment in misguided macho deluding Iberia runs as follows.

Shot from the inside of the house, a father answers the door. On the doorstep is a young man carrying a young woman in the traditional 'bride over the threshold' pose.

He tells her baffled father 'he's returning her, she's not what he expected', the young woman wears a resigned expression.

The shot cuts away to the smiling happy young man walking away from the house, down the drive to where his shiny new car is parked, with the caption 'Test Drive Before You Buy.'




Would you buy a car from this company? If you are a woman, would you agree to take part in this advert, monetary consideration apart.

 

[TheEarl]

A recent TV advertisment in misguided macho deluding Iberia runs as follows.

Shot from the inside of the house, a father answers the door. On the doorstep is a young man carrying a young woman in the traditional 'bride over the threshold' pose.

He tells her baffled father 'he's returning her, she's not what he expected', the young woman wears a resigned expression.

The shot cuts away to the smiling happy young man walking away from the house, down the drive to where his shiny new car is parked, with the caption 'Test Drive Before You Buy.'




Would you buy a car from this company? If you are a woman, would you agree to take part in this advert, monetary consideration apart.

I can't see anything wrong with that advertisement, to be honest. I can't read it as giving any misogynistic message at all.

The Earl

 

[oggbashan]

I think it would play better in English speaking countries if SHE was carrying him, and she drove away in the car.

Og

 

[Guest]

i probably couldnt afford a car from that company but i would laugh my ass off at the advert.

 

[Typo Fu Master]

A recent TV advertisment in misguided macho deluding Iberia runs as follows.

Shot from the inside of the house, a father answers the door. On the doorstep is a young man carrying a young woman in the traditional 'bride over the threshold' pose.

He tells her baffled father 'he's returning her, she's not what he expected', the young woman wears a resigned expression.

The shot cuts away to the smiling happy young man walking away from the house, down the drive to where his shiny new car is parked, with the caption 'Test Drive Before You Buy.'




Would you buy a car from this company? If you are a woman, would you agree to take part in this advert, monetary consideration apart.

I don't really see anything wrong with it. It's an attempt at humor. Possibly some would be offended by it, but I really don't think it was their intention.

What gets me are ads featuring animated food that wants to be eaten.

 

[neonlyte]

Maybe it is just me, I'm over sensitive, or something It is funny, but there are a million ways to sell a car. comparing your partners performance to the cars performance just doesn't do it for me. Possibly it is also one of those things you have to see, the absolute sincerity of the guys face and the resigned acceptance on the girls. <shrug>

 

[TheEarl]

Maybe it is just me, I'm over sensitive, or something It is funny, but there are a million ways to sell a car. comparing your partners performance to the cars performance just doesn't do it for me. Possibly it is also one of those things you have to see, the absolute sincerity of the guys face and the resigned acceptance on the girls. <shrug>

It's not comparing the girl to the car, in my opinion. It's saying that there are some things in life where you can't take a trial. It's satirically comparing marriage to buying a car, rather than saying anything about women, IMHO.

We have similar ads in England about a three day trial for a car. The one I can remember is an army recruit stopping in the middle of an assault course and going over to the sergeant and saying "I've been here for three days and I don't think this is exactly for me. So I'm going to go now." The army sergeant gives him a glower and orders him back to the assault course. The caption reads, "Not everything in life comes with a 3-day trial."

The Earl

 

[neonlyte]

It's not comparing the girl to the car, in my opinion. It's saying that there are some things in life where you can't take a trial. It's satirically comparing marriage to buying a car, rather than saying anything about women, IMHO.

We have similar ads in England about a three day trial for a car. The one I can remember is an army recruit stopping in the middle of an assault course and going over to the sergeant and saying "I've been here for three days and I don't think this is exactly for me. So I'm going to go now." The army sergeant gives him a glower and orders him back to the assault course. The caption reads, "Not everything in life comes with a 3-day trial."

The Earl

I'm going to excuse myself by my unique brand of sensitivity - and by not buying a Vectra. I see your point Earl (and others), and normally I'm best buddies with satire, just not this time.

 

[LadyJeanne]

I'm going to excuse myself by my unique brand of sensitivity - and by not buying a Vectra. I see your point Earl (and others), and normally I'm best buddies with satire, just not this time.

I'm with you neon - it puts women and cars in the same category - something a man chooses or returns if it doesn't perform.

And reminded me of the cow thing - if you can get the milk for free...

*shrug*

That said, I probably wouldn't pay much attention to the commercial. Or the car.

 

[Guest]

.....

 

[neonlyte]

DAMNED SKIPPY!!! I like companies with a sense of humor.

I like women with a sense of proportion.

Lady Jeanne - thank you, i was beginning to think I was the only one.

 

[Recidiva]

I think waiting to get married is a "pig in a poke" so to speak.

If the man and the woman both wait until the honeymoon, you are taking your chances.

Had they done the same with a woman trying on an engagement ring and it being a horror and returning it, it would be the same message.

I wouldn't be offended, really, since this is a symbol of marriage, and they're just capitalizing on it.

 

[Guest]

I'm with you neon - it puts women and cars in the same category - something a man chooses or returns if it doesn't perform.

And reminded me of the cow thing - if you can get the milk for free...

*shrug*

That said, I probably wouldn't pay much attention to the commercial. Or the car.

Agreed.

Put me in the same category as LJ and neon, then. I don't like the implied message - it makes me uncomfortable.

I imagine they were going for humor and not any sort of performance assessment of their honeymoon but it comes off flat to me. What if she was returning him after their wedding night because he didn't satisfy her?

I do like Earl's example of the military ad - that seems to be more funny to me.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Maybe it is just me, I'm over sensitive, or something It is funny, but there are a million ways to sell a car. comparing your partners performance to the cars performance just doesn't do it for me. Possibly it is also one of those things you have to see, the absolute sincerity of the guys face and the resigned acceptance on the girls. <shrug>

I don't know. I'm a woman ( ) and I have seen the commercial, and didn't think anything of it, didn't find any misogynist message. The way I see it, the message was directed at the car, not marriage: buying a car is a serious compromise, but at least you get the chance to test-drive it. It's just another humorous commercial, and funnier than most that try that approach, I thought.

 

[TheEarl]

What if she was returning him after their wedding night because he didn't satisfy her?

I'd still find it amusing. Can't see how that would change things at all.

The Earl

 

[Liar]

Agreed.

Put me in the same category as LJ and neon, then. I don't like the implied message - it makes me uncomfortable.

I dunno. I thought the implied message was the exact opposite of the explicit one: They paint a bizarre scene, clearly demonstrating the ridiculous in doing this with a spouse. And implying that a car is not that serious a commitment, they are things, not people, so feel free to trade them in. You can base humor on lotsa things. Slapstick is one. Antitheis is another.

But then again, I'm raised on corn flakes and irony, so maybe that intepretation comes naturally for me.

 

[TheEarl]

I dunno. I thought the implied message was the exact opposite of the explicit one: They paint a bizarre scene, clearly demonstrating the ridiculous in doing this with a spouse. And implying that a car is not that serious a commitment, they are things, not people, so feel free to trade them in. You can base humor on lotsa things. Slapstick is one. Antitheis is another.

But then again, I'm raised on corn flakes and irony, so maybe that intepretation comes naturally for me.

Eggzunklty.

The Earl

 

[neonlyte]

I wonder if the ad agency researched how the ad would be received? From the response here, they alienated 35% of their potential market and most respondents see it as humor rather than a sales pitch.

 

[TheEarl]

I wonder if the ad agency researched how the ad would be received? From the response here, they alienated 35% of their potential market and most respondents see it as humor rather than a sales pitch.

To be fair, I see it as humour and also something I might be interested in. The ad's getting across a message of 'try before you buy' and for a nervous, miserly spender like me, that has a definite appeal. So I guess I'm kinda their target audience, at least personality-wise.

The Earl

 

[Guest]

.....

 

[LadyJeanne]

I wonder if the ad agency researched how the ad would be received? From the response here, they alienated 35% of their potential market and most respondents see it as humor rather than a sales pitch.

I think data shows that most people pay very little attention to car ads unless they're actually contemplating a car purchase in the near future. Humor is just as good or better than a sales pitch in terms of getting people to remember the product.

Women are used to being treated as objects, property and brainless toilet scrubbers in advertising, so I'm guessing most of us either wouldn't notice or would shrug it off as business as usual.

 

[neonlyte]

I think data shows that most people pay very little attention to car ads unless they're actually contemplating a car purchase in the near future. Humor is just as good or better than a sales pitch in terms of getting people to remember the product.

Women are used to being treated as objects, property and brainless toilet scrubbers in advertising, so I'm guessing most of us either wouldn't notice or would shrug it off as business as usual.

Yes... I can see that. The second part of your response interests me, and I framed it in my opening post, why do women agree to do this? I know all of the obvious reasons, monetary, and all its ramifications is the key, but I'm still curious. Do women divorce themselves from the message (treated as objects, property and brainless toilet scrubbers), or do they unconiously, or, heaven forbid, willingly, project the message.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Let's try a different scenario:

I have a video clip of a French (i think) commercial. A handsome young man carries his beautiful newly wed wife across the threshhold of his mansion, cut to the bed room; she unbuttons his shirt, unzips his fly and shoves him back on the bed. She then motions that she'll be right back. Cut to man on his hands and knees on the bed peering around the open door to the bathroom, where he sees his wife, slip pulled up, peeing in the toilet....

STANDING UP.​

Would that, then, be cause to return her to papa?


EDIT: BTW, I find that commercial hilarious too.

...Cut to man on his hands and knees on the bed peering down at his limp dick...

Would that, then, be cause to return to her papa by driving away in the high performance car?

...

 

[Typo Fu Master]

I wonder if the ad agency researched how the ad would be received? From the response here, they alienated 35% of their potential market and most respondents see it as humor rather than a sales pitch.

I see most silly ads as humor. Some have gotten to the point where it's difficult to even know what they're selling until the end of the commercial. I'll give you a good example: athletic shoes.

I think advertisers have exhausted everything there is to say about their products and now resort to arm waving tactics. If a truly new product were to enter the market, the message would be a lot more toned down and serious.

 

[LadyJeanne]

Yes... I can see that. The second part of your response interests me, and I framed it in my opening post, why do women agree to do this? I know all of the obvious reasons, monetary, and all its ramifications is the key, but I'm still curious. Do women divorce themselves from the message (treated as objects, property and brainless toilet scrubbers), or do they unconiously, or, heaven forbid, willingly, project the message.

If you're an actress, you gotta make a living. Some willingly project the message - see Paris Hilton in those Burger King ads - but most just divorce themselves from the message.

Actresses have long complained about the lack of good roles for women in movies and television. They've long complained about women in bikinis being used to sell everything from beer to burgers. The lovely ladies dancing and prancing at the Auto Shows are well aware of their status.

The women watching all the commercials about shiny floors and spotless ovens know they have a lot more on their minds than those darned scuff marks on the kitchen floor, but it's not like they're going to go around boycotting - they've got better things to do.