MINI Goes After Mexican Women Who Apply Makeup While Driving

In Mexico, we are told 22% of car accidents are caused by women. That little stat forms the basis of Publicis Mexico-created ad campaign for MINI which urges women not to apply make up while driving, seemingly the cause of those 22% of accidents.

Before we get into the actual campaign here, let's do a little math. If 22% of all car accidents are caused by women, can one assume 78% are caused by men? Why, then, do we have a campaign that just wreaks of the age old stereotype that women are bad drivers? And why is it assumed the application of makeup is the cause of these accidents?

Hmm. Questionable marketing, perhaps? But hey, it's fun to blow up air bags in the Ladies Room while unsuspecting women apply makeup. And maybe makeup-induced accidents really are a thing in Mexico. Who are we to judge?

And if all the other stats thrown at us in this ad are to be believed (stereotypical or not) then maybe this is a message that needs to be delivered. Maybe it's sad that 6 out of 10 Mexican women wouldn't dream of going to work without makeup or that 1 in 4 believe not wearing makeup could cost them a promotion. But if that's the reality then urging women not to apply makeup while driving is, perhaps, less stereotypical and more practical.

Now if only MINI could come up with a strategy to curtail the apparent 78% of men who cause the rest of all car accidents.