German automaker Audi has taken the rare step of publicly apologizing for an ad and pledging to investigate how the image was approved for sharing on the brand’s official Twitter feed. Critics say it was evocative of accidents involving children.
However, some fans on social media said critics were reading too much into the ad, which was accused of bringing to mind accidents involving children and, by a smaller number of commenters, of sexualizing the child in the ad.
In its three-part apology on Twitter, Audi said it had intended for the child in the ad to symbolize the Audi RS 4 Avant’s safety features while, presumably, showing it to be fun to drive.
“We sincerely apologize for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in future,” the brand wrote. “We will also immediately examine internally, how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed in this case.”
Lets your heart beat faster – in every aspect. #AudiRS4 pic.twitter.com/14XaKhlRVL
— AudiOfficial (@AudiOfficial) August 2, 2020
We hoped we could convey these messages, showing that even for the weakest traffic participants it is possible to relaxingly lean on the RS technology. That was a mistake! Audi never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings. (2/3)
— AudiOfficial (@AudiOfficial) August 3, 2020
We sincerely apologize for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in future. We will also immediately examine internally, how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed in this case. (3/3)
— AudiOfficial (@AudiOfficial) August 3, 2020
As of Tuesday afternoon, the original tweet posted on Sunday had not been deleted.
The ad’s critics generally cited one of two complaints: that it insensitively conveyed an image that might be associated with children being hit by cars, or that it sexualized a child.
This is a frightening image giving testimony to the fact that such enormous speed machines are a danger to our children and societies and do not belong on city streets with kids around. Makes my stomach turn just looking at it.
— Kadri Soova (@KadriSoova) August 3, 2020
One of many tweets posted in German described the ad as: “Huge car in concrete desert threatens a small child. Does that matter to Audi?”
Another German tweet asked: “Are you crazy? Given the amount of traffic fatalities, are you putting a small child in front of a huge car that the driver can’t see because of the car? Is this advertising to kill children?”
Several critics noted how easy it is for children to wander into harm’s way around cars.
Napomena o autorskim pravima: Dozvoljeno preuzimanje sadržaja isključivo uz navođenje linka prema stranici našeg portala sa koje je sadržaj preuzet. Stavovi izraženi u ovom tekstu autorovi su i ne odražavaju nužno uredničku politiku The Balkantimes Press.
Copyright Notice: It is allowed to download the content only by providing a link to the page of our portal from which the content was downloaded. The views expressed in this text are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policies of The Balkantimes Press.