Audi ad draws ire in China
AN AUDI commercial that aired in theatres and online in China is drawing ire for comparing women to used cars – another bump in the road for the German automaker, which once enjoyed nearly limitless growth in the country.
The advertisement opens in a pastoral setting, with a bride and a groom about to take their vows. But the mother of the groom frantically interrupts, rushing up the aisle to “inspect” her would-be daughter-in-law.
With a stare, the woman proceeds to pinch the bride’s nose, pull back the bride’s ear and then examine the inside of the bride’s mouth.
“What are you doing?!” the horrified groom asks in Mandarin, as he pulls his mother away.
The older woman begins walking back to her seat, then turns around to flash an “AOkay” hand sign.
The bride and the groom sigh in relief. But the relief is short-lived because the groom’s mother again focuses her attention on the bride, this time casting a glance at her breasts. The anxious bride quickly covers her chest area with her hands.
The commercial then cuts away to footage of a red Audi sedan zipping along an empty highway, as a man’s voice declares: “An important decision must be made carefully.”
An animation encourages viewers to visit a website selling “Audi-approved” secondhand cars.
“Only with an official certification can you rest easy,” a male voice-over says.
The response to the ad was less than stellar.
One Twitter user posted a story about the ad, adding simply: “How to make an ad that will turn off consumers.”
On Weibo, a Chinese social media platform, people criticised the commercial as sexist and “disgusting”.
Several users called on Audi to apologise, while some urged a boycott of the automaker.
Representatives for Audi did not respond to questions sent onTuesday. An Audi spokesman told the South China Morning Post that the automaker was looking into the commercial and that it had been produced by a joint-venture partner.
“We had a Volkswagen at home and my husband planned to get an Audi,” one Weibo user said. “I was against it – and now I see it is definitely impossible to buy any Audi car. They build shoddy cars and make a huge profit in China, and now release such a vulgar commercial. Shame on you, Audi.”
Audi, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group, had “virtually created China’s luxury car market” more than two decades ago, according to Automotive News, but in recent years has struggled to ward off competition from brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.