A costly offence
An advertisement by German carmaker Audi has rubbed netizens up the wrong way
The advertising industry is one of the most dynamic and volatile sectors. At a time when there is widespread awareness of multifarious issues, brands cannot run the risk of offending people by being insensitive. With social media turning into a platform for easily calling offenders out, companies and brands are walking a tightrope. Unfortunately, the creative team of Audi learnt this lesson the hard way.
A recent advertisement by the German carmaker has rubbed netizens up the wrong way. In the image, a small girl is seen eating a banana as she leans on a red flashy Audi RS 4 Avant. The slogan reads, Let your heart beat faster — in every aspect. The company is being criticised for putting the child in a provocative and life-threatening position.
Seeing the banana as a phallic symbol and the red car as an expression of male lust, a Twitter user has called the brand out, saying, “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...(sic),”
This advertisement is open to interpretation. A lot of people will look at it differently but I understand why people hate it. It is just a print advertisement. Had it been a film, it would have been a lot more hard-hitting and controversial. But because it is one frame, it is open to a fair amount of interpretation
— Piyush Raghani, filmmaker
According to a Mumbai-based advertising professional who chose to remain anonymous, the slogan has added to the problem. “When you first look at this image, it doesn’t necessarily seem offensive. I imagine it’s the copy that highlights the sexual, even predatory undertones when it says, Let your heart beat faster in every aspect. Simply said, it is problematic as a concept, let alone an advertisement,” the professional said.
Advertising filmmaker Piyush Raghani also sees a problem with the conception and supposes miscommunication to have created the problem. “Communication is often subjective,” he notes. Another group of netizens found the positioning of the child in front of the car life-threatening, as the driver would not have been able to spot the girl standing there.
“This advertisement is open to interpretation. A lot of people will look at it differently but I understand why people hate it. It is just a print advertisement. Had it been a film, it would have been a lot more hard-hitting and controversial. But because it is one frame, it is open to a fair amount of interpretation,” says Piyush.
Meanwhile, Audi has issued an apology. “We sincerely apologise for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in future,” they tweeted. “We hear you and let’s get this straight. We care for children. The Audi RS 4 is a family car with more than thirty driver assistance systems including an emergency brake system. That’s why we showcased it with various family members for the campaign.”
— With inputs from Nirtika Pandita
Surf Excel:
Detergent brand Surf Excel, known for its heart-warming advertisements, had released a one-minute advertisement under its Rang Laaye Sang (colours that bring us together) campaign for Holi, around the Hindu-Muslim unity theme, but instantly faced flak for the concept. The ad featured a young Hindu girl, dressed in a white T-shirt, who chooses to get stained in Holi colours to protect her young Muslim friend who has to go to the nearby mosque to pray. The tagline says, Agar kuch achha karne mein daag lag jaaye toh daag achhe hain (Stains that come as a part of a good deed are good stains). On Twitter, the campaign faced the wrath of users who felt it was Hindu phobic and controversial and sought to show Namaaz as more important than Holi. A trend #boycottSurfexcel set Twitter on fire.