Sexist Volvo advert

[TorringtonDean]

There’s a radio ad for Volvos at the moment which I find completely nauseating. It features a small girl having a conversation with “daddy” about how great the new Volvo is and some sort of finance offer. He says “did mummy put you up to this”. Then he goes on to ask what she wants for her birthday and she says “a new Volvo” in a tone of voice exactly like Verruca Salt in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

The whole thing is completely sexist with the implication that only men can actually afford to shell out for a new Volvo while their manipulative wives and daughters will be pushing them to put their hands in their wallets. Hugely insulting, I think.

For the record, I drive a Volvo myself, I’m a woman, I pay all the bills and I’ve always admired their reliability and safety. But what with this sexist ad and scrapping estate cars, I don’t think this ad is encouraging me to get another one.

Is Volvo being unreasonable?

Quite the opposite. My two hobbies are horses and cars. Both with huge social circles with very capable females involved.

Likewise. We've just bought our first Volvo after 40 years of car ownership. We looked around several dealers of various brands. The Volvo dealership stood out head and shoulders above the rest in terms of helpfulness, support, respect, listened to what we wanted, etc. There wasn't even a hint of sexism as both salesmen we spoke to, spoke equally to both of us. He quickly realised I'd done my research and was "wearing the pants" when it came to decision making, no patronising tripe at all.

There wasn't a car to the spec/colour etc that I wanted, but since the salesman had properly listened to what I was looking for, he came up with an excellent compromise that wasn't actually on sale - it was an ex-demo that was at the valet shop being prepped for the forecourt. He went to get it for us, and it was perfect in terms of mileage, price, spec, even colour - not what we asked for, but he'd "read our minds" and "read between the lines" to present something that would tick lots of boxes. We liked it and drove it away the next day!

Contrast that with some of the other dealerships (VW, BMW, Peugeot) whose salesmen were out of the dark ages, not listening to what we wanted, talking over us, ignoring me and talking to OH who isn't remotely interested or knowledgeable about cars, etc. Stupid things like we'd asked for a low mileage 1/2 year old car and they showed us one with 50k on the clock. Just wouldn't listen!

That's exactly what @TorqueWrench just said.

I'm not passionate about cars either. I don't know how to change a tyre as a result.

Times Radio is not as fuddy duddy as you are imagining and again I am a woman, own my own car and house, and am an avid listener! Besides, people have said they’ve also heard it on Greatest Hits Radio and LBC - probably all have a middle aged audience but not geriatric!

I’m sure I have recently seen cooler Volvo ads aimed at a younger audience. I think there was one with two lesbians going wild swimming. So this latest ad is a curiosity, maybe done by dealerships and not the manufacturer itself.

I can’t change a tyre but then I also can’t iron. Not a sex thing- I’m just a bit shit at anything practical!

In the advertising world at the moment it seems there are three types of adverts:

• Men larping as women for women’s products e.g Dylan whatshisface for women’s sportswear.
• Complete erasure of women e.g Always sanitary products have removed all reference to women. Hello there fellow ‘humans with reproductive capabilities’ (direct quote).
• Rife sexism of a silly little woman like this Volvo advert sounds like or the old fave of sexually charged woman for man’s objectification.

So is it just the car industry, or is it higher in the world of advertising, PR and social media engagement where women are really experiencing the sexism?

It’s everywhere, of course. We are always treated as second class. It’s always worth pointing it out. Say nothing and nothing changes.

Under Always I got it wrong sorry, ‘bodies with female sex organs’ was the quote.

https://trib.al/q8XHN8m

@IdleAnimations ooh, female sex organs, that’s quite a prejudicial term in itself.

For what it’s worth, I no longer buy Costs coffee since the mastectomy scars ad.

Costa I mean.

Most men and women can’t change tyres these days, because the bolts are tightened by machine when you get new tyres fitted, that are beyond the strength of the average human being.

@TorringtonDean

Women still apparently control the vast amount of household spending. We have to vote with our feet. I’ve also boycotted Costa. I agree with you on the Volvo advert. There’s really no need for it to advertise a car.

The wheels bolts should be torqued to manufacturer specification. Any able bodied adult should be able to undo them!! I've never had a problem.

No they’re not. 3 men couldn’t remove the bolts the last time my tyre needed changing.
I know how to do an oil, plugs and tyre change myself. First job was in well known tyre place.

The women who say the cars have repair kits now - you do know you can ask for a spare tyre instead on purchase- don't you? As I do. And then call Skoda Assist because age limits my mobility. So I've lost track of my spider and the extension bit of steel tube I was given by a farmer to extend the leverage. After I had to change the tyre on the nearside in a lane in the rain and the only way I could shift the bolts was when enough male driven cars had gone past that my adrenaline levels got high enough.

Wheels bolts should be torqued to spec., but are usually over tightened by incorrectly using a impact wrench.

If you want to do it properly get a torque wrench.

Either way, getting way off topic here!

I haven't heard the ad but it would wind me up too.

I love my Volvo. Bought it myself, using my money, on my own (no DH input!) from a lovely salesman in our local dealership. Perfect for ferrying the DCs around and most importantly for me- the safest cars about.

Sounds like they've wheeled out some very tired stereotypes for this ad.

I'm not passionate about cars either. I don't know how to change a tyre as a result.

It doesn’t necessarily follow. My father had no interest in cars other than for getting from A to B. He could change tyres and do basic servicing.

I don’t think you have to be passionate about cars in order to drive one. Just as you don’t have to be passionate about washing machines or other household appliances.

You don’t even need to know how to fix them - just how to ring the AA or book a garage.

My point is that many women buy their own cars. We are not Stepford Wives and don’t need to be talked down to like this in car ads.

Gender?

I thought this thread was about sex

I thought this thread was about sex

Maybe it should be moved to the correct board.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/sex

Apparently women have the say on 80% of household purchases. So whether paying out of our own pockets or from joint family funds, it’s best not to offend us by putting us down as the little nagging woman. The advert smacks of the graduate trainees getting a brief saying women are behind household purchases and then imagining a scenario where a nagging wife uses a spoilt brat kid to lobby Daddy to buy a Volvo. Incredibly stereotyped and patronising.

YADNBU as that child is excruciating and makes me want to throw something at the radio.
Car adverts are uniformly crap.

I’m female, I do day to day work in my car . All the driving abroad. And drive the hired van when my children are moving home

I’ve heard the Volvo advert on heart fm too…
agree with annoying and Whitney on one level and patronising on another.

there is also a Skoda one with a woman voiceover saying something like - this Skoda can…
and it’s basically just a person (mum) dropping kids off at football and stuff.
Surely that’s the most basic requirement of any car… that it can drive a kid 5 minutes to a village hall car park. Not a great ad either if I’m honest.