Audi Ireland Subverts Sexist Stereotypes Via Social Media Campaign
Finding jokes about women behind the wheel passé, Audi Ireland recently began a Twitter campaign meant to subvert the sexism.
The subsidiary pulled its bait-and-switch with the hashtag where those looking for a good laugh at another’s expense instead found themselves reading about women “driving” technology, science, business et al forward, The Telegraph reports. Audi Ireland explained its mission thusly in a YouTube video about the campaign:
Women drivers have become synonymous with bad drivers. The butt of jokes. We don’t think it’s funny. We have created tweets using the hashtag Users click expecting funny stories or videos, and instead find articles about real women drivers. Women driving their field forward in business, technology, science and more.
The campaign has been a hit thus far, with women in particular heaping praise on turning the hashtag on its head.
[Photo credit: Audi]
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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I'm not sure if anything courageous is happening here. In North America the better half are the decision makers when it comes to new car purchases in a large number of cases. The same might be true for Ireland. VAG knows who they need to address.
They're trying to appeal to the SJW set, which is, in reality, a lot smaller a demographic than their level of internet activism makes them appear. I imagine the 5% of them with access to trust funds might be inclined to buy an Audi now, but I think most SJW's either can't afford a car or simply refuse to buy one. Maybe Sheryl Sandberg will validate the campaign by picking up a couple hundred cars...or not.