There are so many things wrong on so many levels with this new Scion iQ campaign. But first, the gist of the campaign. To tout the fact that despite the iQ’s small size four adults can still fit in the vehicle, four commercials feature four groups of people in the car eating donuts and drinking milk while the vehicle does…ahem…donuts in a donut shops’ parking lot.
So what’s wrong with the strategy? Aside from the fact, it’s fun to watch people get tossed around a car while trying to eat, is it really smart for the brand to associate itself with what’s being communicated in the ads – unsafe driving? Yea, yea, yea. We all know…don’t try this at home. But you know, sadly, there are just enough idiots in this world who will see this, try it, crash and then try to sue Scion for their idiocy.
And how about the fact three ads were made just to get away with making the fourth. Yea, the one called Babes ‘N Donuts. The one that features bikini-clad women trying to eat donuts while milk spills all over their breasts like it’s some kind of porn shoot. Yea, nothing at all wrong with that one.
And how about the one that features cops? Yea, cops. Cops driving recklessly around a parking lot while stuffing their stereotypically fat faces with stereotypically consumed donuts?
And how about the fact the Dudes version has a woman in it?
And how about the fact that in three out of four spots, women are driving? What are we saying about female drivers here? Are they reckless? Or are they really good at driving in circles? Not really sure which is the better message to send.
Sure it’s fun and yes the rest of the world doesn’t look at commercials the way we do. But it’s the subtleties in ads like these that, after a time, become acceptable behavior in the real world. And do we really want a world full of idiots driving in circles around a parking lot while trying to eat donuts and consuming milk? Well, bikini-clad babes? Yes. The others? Not so much.
