To be gob smacked at the Ford Commercial advert?

[Notwiththeseknees]

Cannot believe the advertising agency made it, cannot believe Ford signed off on it - not even lip service paid to women's equality/superiority now. We are still only good enough to make their tea, can't even time that right for the busy, important menz.

https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/04/29/ford-hails-van-and-truck-drivers-with-backbone-britain-campaign

Their new marketing director is a woman

I saw this just this evening and thought exactly the same. Urgh! The testosterone was leeching through the screen.

Why would it pay lip service to the superiority of women? That isn't a thing.

It doesn't offend me, however that's likely due to the fact that every person I know who needs a commercial van is a man.

I do see where you're coming from however I suppose it appeals to their audience for this particular vehicle. If I'm honest I'm more irritated by the SUV adverts with a man driving with his wife smiling blithely at his direction while their children sit nicely in the back - in reality it's probably her driving while trying not to cry as the kids scream on the way to school.

I saw this a few weeks ago and said the same to my DH. Plenty of women drive vans (I did) and more would if the world was less sexist. It is quite a blatant message I think, playing up to a certain demographic, a step back.

Not quite sure what you mean about women's superiority though - unless you mean that some men still find it shocking to think that a woman could be better at doing a thing than them, especially a 'man thing'. The horror of it!

polpot Really? You don't know any women that drive a van?! Vans are used by more than just male builders you know...

Nope, not a single woman I know. I know that women also drive them however can you say that men with manual jobs aren't the usual demographic for these vehicles?

Plenty of men drink diet coke and eat maltesers but it doesn't stop their adverts being woman-centric.

I know dog walkers, caterers, venue decorators, a florist, a cake maker, designers and leaflet distributors who are all women with their own businesses who drive vans. You seriously don't know any, @polpot?

Clearly Ford doesn't want the business of any of these women. More fool them.

“Women’s superiority”?

What a stupid thing to say.

The ad was about the vans, not the people....some of whom were women, if you look carefully (and not just the woman with the tea).

It’s people like you, OP, who stop women describing themselves as feminists (although they actually are). Find something else to feel all victimised about.

I am a van driver. Didn’t even register that they were all men as I was more interested in the vehicles and couldn’t get a good look at them.

If you want to see a car advert that really is sexist take a look at the Volvo advert about “family”
Only reference to a woman over the age of 40 is a hand
Middle aged, young and old men aplenty and young girls and women but no one older

m.youtube.com/watch?v=13dlEtkmb9k

Great ad, with a great track playing.

Seriously so bored of people being offended at everything. Sexist? I think not. I’m a millennial and don’t see anything to be offended about - if they put in an equal amount of women drivers the ad would seem inauthentic, as the majority of van drivers are men.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if this ad sells more vehicles than it’s predecessor.

It’s basically Top Gear as an advert for vans. It’s preposterous but I’m not terribly shocked by it.

Totally agree scotsinoz, very well put.

I am offended by women getting offended by ridiculous things. Tokenism offends me way more.

I’m with scotsinoz & ivegotthree, well said.

I saw it and was immensely pleased that Ford didn't feel the need to deliberately force in some women builders or anything about climate change. I'm getting pretty sick of having stuff like that forced on me through adverts, news, TV programmes etc all the livelong day. It was a good advert. It wasn't about equality or superiority thank God. It was just about vans, and what sells vans.

Women I've known who drive a van, thinking of the top of my dad.

Dog walkers in my local area, loads of them.

A couple of mobile dog groomers

My wedding florist

My wedding venue decorator

Builder who worked with my dad back in the 90s

My mum drove a camper van for years but I don't think that counts?

Off the top of my head**

Though my dad did drive a van for years 😂

Yikes, I need to go back to bed, clearly

I drive a white van for work - building trade- and had my own for years when running a market garden.
There are women in the ad- not as many true but several working. Hard to spot when dressed in work clothes and a hard hat.

DH and I quite like it - it makes him grin when the woman offers the plumber a cup of tea while he is wedged underneath the sink, he's been in the same situation many times.
It is a remake I think of an advert from the 80's or 90's for transit vans -

I also don't know any women who drive vans.

I really do not see the problem with the video!

You lot seriously have nothing better to do with your weekend, seriously!

Both the ford and the Volvo ad very sexist. The man always driving the Volvo - head of the family, taking care of them message.... along with women are invisible over a certain age. And the ford one is a great ad but missing women in a big way. “Piss off back to the kitchen, you batty old woman” about the size of it.

I saw at least two women drivers in the advert, and in many cases you can't see what sex the personnel are.

What offends me more is their faux patriotic strapline. Urgh.

Both the ford and the Volvo ad very sexist. The man always driving the Volvo - head of the family, taking care of them message.... along with women are invisible over a certain age. And the ford one is a great ad but missing women in a big way. “Piss off back to the kitchen, you batty old woman” about the size of it.

My dw drives our van (well).

This was an advert about tough trades and tough vans. Putting one or two of the crews as women would have been good, as the are some women in such roles and is good to see, but get real- most of this work is men.

Maybe over time it will be 50/50 but trying to force it is unhelpful and awkward.

It's almost as if the advertisement is about their target customers rather than woke points (gilette)

Should every advert address all sections of society? Or are they only wrong of they leave women out?

I think the van advert is good in that it aims to give hard workers in those fields a sense of pride. That's good business. I didn't feel left out. You can't, from my phone anyway, tell the sex of the workers.

The second advert actually covers many aspects of society.

Personally I object to the fact that a Queen song is used for the soundtrack - a band comprising MEN AND NO WOMEN (although I suppose the name of the band has female identity).

I'm still offended though. Why couldn't they choose a more gender balanced soundtrack? Something RiotGrrrl-ish? Or the Spice Girls, or perhaps a bit of B*Witched?