Thursday, November 28, 2013



Is this ad for the new Renault Koleos sexist?

Renault has launched an advertising campaign promoting its new Koleos SUV.  In the good-looking ad, against a catchy, cheesy sound track, a couple embark on a ‘glamping’ trip in their new SUV.

As they set up camp the woman pretties up the tent arranging flowers, while the man erects a satellite dish, then goes fishing. He returns victorious, and his partner transforms the catch into a dainty sushi platter, which she then proceeds to feed to him with chop sticks.

On the website Campaign Brief, viewer comments include “charming”, “cute” and “funny” but, oddly, no-one seems to have raised the issue of sexism. Thankfully, YouTube commenters are a little more forthcoming – “This is so sexist it made me feel physically ill,” writes a riled-up 'Bertie Page'.

The campaign’s slogan “Beautiful meets capable,” we’re told by advertisers, is their way of saying Aussie car buyers no longer need to sacrifice style for practicality.

That’s all very well, but why does the woman in the film have to represent all that is stylish and beautiful, while the male “tradie” character gets to be the hunter-gatherer-solver-of-problems-macho-man?

Source

You can praise feminism all you like but praising a traditional life is offensive?  No tolerance there!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Traditional life" needs to specify some time-period, because eventually it does become VERY offensive to future generations including everyone reading this site whatever their nuanced tastes today!

Anonymous said...

Traditional life has been going on among ordinary people for thousands of years.

Anonymous said...

It is only offensive when you carry personal political baggage into your viewing of the commercial. Critics are assuming that the company is implying the lifestyle in the commercial is the ONLY correct one. As usual they are reading something into the commercial that isn't there. The company has to pick something to represent the average couple, so why can't they use what most people can relate to?

Anonymous said...

The woman doesn't 'have to' represent anything and nor does the man.
It just so happens in this ad they typify a traditional relationship - there are plenty of other ads out there showing other alternative arrangements.
Isn't feminism about allowing women to choose whether they want a traditional relationship or something else - not forcing them into other roles they may not want?!?

TheOldMan said...

Don't like the ad, don't buy the car. It's really quite simple.