about

This is one of a series of ads for a micro car by Toyota, the Scion iQ. Four women in bikinis eat donuts and milk while one of them does car “donuts” (spinning the car round and round) in the empty parking lot of a donut shop. The girls scream as the car spins, and donut cream and milk go flying, covering their bikini-clad bodies. Afterwards, the four celebrate triumphantly. The other people featured in the ad campaign are bikers, cops and dudes, although the female driver (costumed differently) remains the same.

discussion

Why are the women wearing bikinis in this ad? Does their clothing relate to what the ad is selling or what they are doing?

What messages about women and women’s bodies do you get from this ad?

How does this ad compare to others featuring women and cars? Are there certain patterns you can think of in the way car ads depict women or men?

Who is the target audience for this ad? How can you tell?