Audi drops not to subtle paedophile car advert!

[Knoxinbox]

There is no way this was just badly thought through....

I think this comment sums it up

“Let's add it up: Red=eroticism, sports car=substitute for potency, animal print mini-skirt=sex appeal, banana=phallic symbol. But sure this is all just accidental...”

Do you think this was someone testing the waters so to speak about how society might respond to something like this? I’ve read quite a few things on here about how the MRA has as its core aim to normalise paedophilia as just another sexual preference (eg minor attracted person) and this was what immediately jumped to my mind with this ad.

What do you think??

[Sunrise234]

Why does she need food at all? That kid, no food, sideways on in a crossed arm “sassy” kind of pose would send a completely different message.

I think that pose would look way better!

But I don’t see the problem with having food as it’s meant to show a laid back feeling.
There is an advert (I think it’s booking a holiday) and the lady is in the bath with a glass of wine - it has nothing to do with holidays but it’s meant to show that she is relaxed and it bugs me because no one would book a holiday when they’re relaxing.

[Winesalot]

It doesn't actually matter if you, personally don't see the connections. If others do, and from what I have seen many people around the world have also made the connection, that is all that matters. That is why marketing departments may use either formal focus groups or at the least team feedback at the very least when floating new creative concepts to publish.

[Sunrise234]

Winesalot

I completely agree!

If a large proportion of the people think it should be removed I will happily go along with them.
As I said I personally don’t find the monkey off the coco pops racist but if there are many people who do then I would be happy if that was removed too.
I know we can’t remove everything that people find offensive but I won’t be affected in any way if it gets removed whereas if it stays it could affect people.

[MarshaBradyo]

The overall effect of image plus words is weird so fine to take it down.

I very much doubt it was anyone testing the waters as the op says. More an unchecked SM post that looks off.

[Thewheelsfelloffthebus]

Just looking at the title of the post again @Knoxinbox what do you think happened then?
The marketing department got together with their marketing agency and said “I know we need - to appeal to paedophiles” ?
As seriously that did not happen.

[StillNotAGirl]

That picture looks like the brief was 'do an updated book cover for Lolita'

When advertising uses well established codified imagery they can't claim innocence when we read the codes

[Oncewasblueandyellowtwo]

The image on Twitter with the headline "Let's your heart beat faster-in every aspect" is off, I was a lot more taken aback with the twitter image than what is in the BBC article, as it doesn't show the image with the headline.The dress in animal print,the banana,the colour of the car and how it is reminiscent of how women have been used in as.
As other posters have said marketing departments look at every detail.It's an awful ad and message,what ever the message is supposed to be?

From some answers on here I'm thinking there are a lot of people who are unaware that there are men who openly call themselves MAPS,Pedophiles on twitter?

[Oncewasblueandyellowtwo]

*women in ads.

[Sunrise234]

I’m aware that their are peadophiles and there will always be men who think they can use children or women as objects.

I am very sensitive to this issue and can often be over sensitive/paranoid compared to most people which is why I am surprised that many people find this uncomfortable but I do not.

[Sunrise234]

I didn’t see the full advert but I looked up the photos on the website of the same car and it looks like they’re trying to make it appealing to the new age, cool young families.

[Sunrise234]

I don’t think many families will be buying it now though!

[KrabbyPatties]

The strap line is what makes it odd

There is nothing odd about the photos as such

[deepwatersolo]

I don't know. It is like those pictures where depending how you look at it you see either a landscape or a face. It could be a paedo doing a 'hiding in plain sight' stick, it could be harmless.

Reminds me of the issues I have with Gus van Sant movies. I quite liked 'my own private idaho'. But growing older (and having a child) watching his movies I sometimes get this 'creep' feeling. Like I see those teenage boys (it is always teenage boys) through the lens of a predator. And the next moment I feel I'm just imagining things...
All in all this has ruined Gus van Sant films for me.

[PearPickingPorky]

In that case, the issue is with the person who picked the still photo of the little girl to go with the headline. That is what's made the whole thing creepy. The other photos look fine.

[Knoxinbox]

@Thewheelsfelloffthebus

Just looking at the title of the post again *@Knoxinbox* what do you think happened then?
The marketing department got together with their marketing agency and said “I know we need - to appeal to paedophiles” ?
As seriously that did not happen.

I don’t think they were trying to just appeal to paedophile car buyers, I think they were trying to be edgy and push the boundaries of what is socially acceptable, with plausible deniability as has been said.... it has to have been intentional. Like pp have said, someone on the advertising team would have raised it.

But what I’m saying is, there are many abusers in positions of power. Just look at the bbc (saville), Hollywood (HW etc) etc so I have no doubts there must be high up ad executives in their numbers. When you look at other instances, like the sex education material promoted by Asda which normalised child abuse, that sex education lesson plan for using with Y8s I think where teachers had to ask children to discuss different types of oral and anal sex etc...it just feels like it’s part of the wider drip drip/boiling frog of an intentional campaign to try to change peoples acceptance of “MAPs” 🤢🤮

[MarshaBradyo]

Op without the line that goes with it and seen with the other casual photos from the shoot

Do you still see it the same way?

[Thewheelsfelloffthebus]

@Knoxinbox I work in advertising - I can promise you they weren’t. There’s not some “higher power”

[Knoxinbox]

They weren’t what? Sorry having a dim moment

[KatySun]

I read the advert as a small child in an inappropriately adult pose - an adult pose which is associated with using the female form to sell cars and I wonder where the marketing teams boundaries went. I just did a google of ‘woman red car’ to check I was not over-reacting and yes, attractive women posing next to cars are definitely a thing. I mean, the connection with the pose would be there even without the banana.

I would not think anything of it, if I saw a child in everyday life looking similar - except that it was dangerous as the driver would not be able to see her - but a photography team has arranged this and a marketing team have signed it off and the image is intended to be circulated.

[powershowerforanhour]

www.google.com/amp/s/www.yahoo.com/amphtml/lifestyle/pop-culture-lolita-apos-lollipop-170309442.html

I also think it's a deliberate cultural reference to the famous Lolita cover.

[Kantastic]

I just did a google of ‘woman red car’ to check I was not over-reacting.

Good idea, I copied you! "Girl red car" was a very instructive google, I've attached a picture, hope it shows up.

[Kantastic]

(if you don't see it at first, centre, third row.)

[Abitofalark]

The BBC article refers to a 'girl' in the advert. 'Girl' could be a 16-year-old. I didn't expect it to be a small child and was shocked when I saw the photo. To me it's obviously deliberately provocative, intended to get attention by stirring up controversy or at the least, discussion and questioning. Yes, intentional and knowing.

[Mintjulia]

The little girl’s stance and the banana made me very uneasy. God knows what the marketing director at Audi was thinking, especially given that they sell family cars.

They do seem to be struggling for corporate values at the moment. You’d think after the whole lying about emissions thing, they’d try to rebuild a bit of credibility. demonstrate some ethics.

[TehBewilderness]

@Coriandersucks

And kids eat bananas - are you suggesting they wanted to portray a phallic symbol? That says more about you than it does about the advert makers I’m afraid.

If you are one of the rare people in the world that has not been exposed to the thousands of woman or girl eating banana as fellatio "jokes" more power to you for living a sheltered life. The rest of us have seen and heard it too many effing times to count.