Audi unveiled its 2017 Super Bowl commercial. The advert was made by creative shop Venables Bell & Partners. The 60-second ad features a feminist dad, and it is a story of a young girl competing in a downhill cart race in her hometown. The voiceover is by Peter Jessop.
The story that ad present is that “the progress is in every decision we make, every technology we invent, every vehicle we build. It’s our past, our future, our reason to exist. Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. A 2016 report by the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee found that women were paid 21% less than men on average.”
The tagline is “Progress is for everyone,” and the official hashtag of the advert is #DriveProgress
On the youtube, the Audi video has a huge number of thumb down because people don’t like when brands use political propaganda to sell more.
Moreover, media analyst Mark Dice said that the Audi’s Big Game Commercial is pathetic and a big fail: “Audi’s 2017 Super Bowl ad this year is a liberal propaganda piece which has turned off half of their customers who don’t want to be lectured about feminism and the widely debunked “gender pay gap” myth in a car commercial. Media analyst Mark Dice has the story.”
Press Release from Audi
Audi returns to America’s biggest night in football with a powerful 60-second commercial called “Daughter.” Known for cinematic and memorable storytelling, Audi this year delivers a message of pay equality in the workplace, a theme of universal importance. “Daughter” will air on Sunday, Feb. 5 during the third quarter of the big game. San Francisco-based Venables Bell & Partners created the commercial. This year marks Audi’s ninth appearance at the game.
“With ‘Daughter,’ Audi continues to push the envelope with compelling storytelling on a national platform. Pay equality is a big message for a big stage,” said Loren Angelo, Vice President of marketing, Audi of America. “As a business built on bold innovation – from LED lighting to Audi quattro – progress is at the heart of what we do. We’re a brand that’s ahead of the curve and looking towards the future, just like our next generation of buyers.”
“Daughter” tells the emotional story of a young girl competing in a downhill cart race in her home town as her father looks on. As she races around the track, her father contemplates whether his daughter’s worth is measured by her gender. He wonders, “What should I tell my daughter….that she will automatically be valued less than every man she’ll ever meet?” As he stands hopeful on the sidelines, watching her outwit her adversaries to win the race, he finds a new-found confidence, celebrating her victory and the tangible hope for equality in her bright future. The commercial concludes with a powerful message on “equal pay for equal work,” and that “progress is for everyone.”
“Daughter” can be viewed now at the Audi USA YouTube channel. The commercial was directed by Aoife McArdle, an award-winning filmmaker, and features the hashtag #DriveProgress, which Audi will use in the coming year to promote new and ongoing initiatives.
Audi of America is committed to supporting pay equality, inclusivity, and the growth and development of all employees. The company has publically pledged to support ongoing commitment to women’s pay equality in the workplace and to foster a work environment that drives equality for all employees. Audi also instituted a graduate internship program where 50 percent of enrollment must be female establishing greater equality for our future workforce.
The company also supports external initiatives to develop opportunities for women at the educational, career and leadership levels in art and film, STEM, and business that will inspire and secure the next generation of female leaders. Already this year, the brand collaborated with longtime partner AFI FEST to create the Audi Fellowship scholarship program, which will grant one promising female director AFI Conservatory enrollment. Audi has been the official automotive sponsor of AFI FEST for over 14 years.
Fans can follow the #DriveProgress story @Audi on Facebook and Twitter. Additionally, Audi will launch a custom Snapchat filter nationally encouraging fans to participate in the #DriveProgress conversation by sharing their own stories.
The all-new 2018 Audi S5 Sportback Prestige featured in the commercial will be available in Spring 2017.
For nearly a decade, Audi of America has led with compelling stories on game day – from shooting for the moon in 2016 with “The Commander” to ending the vampire craze in 2013. Engaging creative combined with actions to engage the socially active audience has been signature to the brand’s actions by being the first brand to use a hashtag in a game day commercial in 2011 to allowing consumers to select the final ending in 2012.
CREDITS
Agency: Venables Bell & Partners
Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables
Production Company: Somesuch + Anonymous Content
Director: Aoife McArdle
Producer: Grace Bodie
Music Company: Human
Music Composer: John Christopher Barnes
VFX Studio: Electric Theatre Collective
Creative Director: Adam Watson