“Daughter” is a commercial for Audi that aired during the 2017 Super Bowl. The ad shows a young girl competing in a soap box derby against a group of boys. Her father narrates over footage of her racing, asking if he should tell his daughter that she will be viewed as lesser because of her gender. The father decides that he will “be able to tell her something different” as the pair walk towards an Audi car.  The ad then informs viewers that “Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. Progress is for everyone.”

discussion

What is the father’s dilemma in the ad? How do his daughter’s actions (winning the race) shift the narrative?

How would you classify this clip (e.g. as an advertisement, public service announcement, etc.)? Why do you think this? What do you think the goal of the ad is?

How is the commercial’s final statement (that Audi “is committed to equal pay for equal work”) related to the advertisement’s story of the soap box derby?

This advertisement originally aired during the Super Bowl. Consider the implications of this. How does the ad’s attitude towards gender compare and contrast with those of the NFL, Super Bowl, and sports fans?