Brands to Avoid Based on their Super Bowl Ads
Brand: Bridgestone Tires
Ad: “Your Tires or Your Life” - A man shoves his scantily-clad girlfriend out of a car instead of giving up his tires
Agency: Dallas-based Richards Group
Thoughts: Too bad, because their other ad, “Whale of a Tale,” was actually quite cool.
Brand: Flo TV
Ad: A man whose spine has been removed is shopping for lingerie with his shrill girlfriend instead of watching the Superbowl
Agency: Magner Sanborn and Agency 3.0
Thoughts: The girlfriend as strict mommy characterization is unoriginal in addition to being offensive.
Brand: Dodge
Ad: A man who is used to doing whatever his wife tells him finally gets to assert his power by driving a Dodge Charger (A Dodge Charger?)
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Thoughts: At least give the guy a Porsche.
What would impress me is an ad consisting entirely of text against a solid background that read:
“The following 60 seconds cost us $3 million.”
“Not including talent, production, effects and music, which would have cost us millions more.”
“We thought about doing something dazzling to get your attention.”
“But instead we’re going to donate $5 million to Save the Children.”
“Please buy our product, even though we’re not showing you cars, beer or celebrities.”
<Bridgestone logo appears on screen and fades out>
That would have been original and powerful. It would have been tweeted about by everyone. I would have found a way to purchase Bridgestone tires that week and I don’t even own a car. Instead, I will avoid ever buying Bridgestone tires.
Is it that difficult to make a compelling Superbowl ad that doesn’t insult women? Really, Wieden + Kennedy, no one working on the Dodge account thought that your “I hate my bossy wife” message might alienate female consumers?
Come on, guys. It gets exhausting.
Jezebel’s impressively speedy roundup of sexist Superbowl ads.
Go Saints!
