Whether you are a diehard football fan or you only watch the Super Bowl for the commercials, chances are that you have heard about Audi’s newest ad that aired yesterday. If you have not, then you should definitely check it out!
The car company diverged from common vehicle ads, which often include a sleek, shiny sports car speeding down a winding road, in favor of something a bit more moving (no pun intended).
The ad features a young girl in a cart race while her father watches her: “What do I tell my daughter?” his voiceover says. “Do I tell her that her grandpa’s worth more than her grandma? That her dad is worth more than her mom? Do I tell her that despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued as less than every man she ever meets?”
This line of questions is raw and uncomfortable, as a father considers how to explain the injustice to his young daughter. The reality of the questions make them even more poignant as the fight for equal pay is ongoing. However, the ad ends on a note of hope as the young, determined racer weaves through her competition and finishes the race in first place.
The father’s final words are, “Or maybe I’ll be able to tell her something different.” When the screen goes black, it reads: “Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work,” and then, “Progress is for everyone.”
The note of hope at the end of the ad is fitting, because the more the issue is discussed, the closer we can come to equality. Audi’s decision to tackle a socially relevant and emotionally charged issue indicates that they are committed to moving forward and spreading this message with their media presence.
Loren Angelo, the vice president of marketing for Audi of America, talked to USA Today about the decision to tackle the issue, which was in part a response to the US Women’s National Soccer Team’s fight for equal pay.
In an interview with Forbes, Angelo said, “I always look at the Super Bowl as an opportunity to tell a creative story and communicate something about what our brand stands for…we’ve always looked for creative storytelling opportunities because it’s a big stage, and we can talk about our products and make a statement.”
Audi’s commitment to progress is exactly what we need to move forward, and the conversation that their Super Bowl ad has created is another step in the right direction.
To check out another empowering Audi ad, click here!
Featured Image by Kārlis Dambrāns on Flickr
Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
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