Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Bad Ads -- Fiat

This ad is bad in so many ways:





First there's the car-as-woman / woman-as-car thing. I don't know what's creepier about the analogy, the idea of being sexually attracted to a car, or the portrayal of women as things which can be bought, sold, and steered. Yep, it's the second thing. Much worse.

Then there's the portrayal of the Italian woman as the hot-headed seductress, angry one second, sex-kittenish the next. Seems pretty racist. And sexist. The woman who is upset about a strange man ogling her bosoms who suddenly finds herself aroused by that weaselly little man? Seems kind of like a porno fantasy, the woman who acts offended, but is secretly "turned on" by the unwanted attention?  Her lips may say no, but her eyes say yes? It feels like something in that vein.

And then it's also just stupid because the car being represented by the exotic temptress is this:

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/auto_shows/los_angeles/2011/1111_2012_fiat_500_abarth_first_look/39438138+w440/2012-fiat-500-abarth-front-left-side-view.jpg 

Has there been a less attractive car? 

http://www.oddee.com/_media/imgs/articles2/a96780_pacer.jpg 
Touche' Google Image Search!

And the tag line: You'll never forget the first time you see one.

Yeah, you'll  always remember that time you said "Hey, look, it's one of those Smart Cars!"

Terrible.

3 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

That's the kind of ad that makes me want to put my foot through the TV screen.

o w grant said...

So, Its not just me. This is REALLY offensive to anybody with two neurons to rub together.

Margaret Benbow said...

Car manufacturers think that if they put a racing stripe on a manure-spreader (or a piece of crap like this Smart Car) women would want one. Nope.