VW Print


Date: January 1, 1970
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This is a congratulatory advert which promotes Volkswagen motor rallying. The advert congratulates the winner of the 2006 National Rally championship and also thanks its partners BP, Esteq Design, Nationwide Airlines, Southern Sun Hotels and German engineering for their support. There is a picture of two men both showing the victory sign and below them the caption, ‘Double Victory.’

This advertisement may be used to:
Show how advertising excludes women from sports that are considered as masculine and perpetuates stereotypes of men as winners.
 
Trainer’s notes
How audiences responded:  In the Mirror on the Media Advertising research conducted by GL women focus group participants said the advert portrays men as winners and clearly states that motor rallying is a “man’s world” where women have no place. Women felt that instead of having two male subjects, the advert could have made use of a woman and a man. Women noted that women are generally not used as main subjects (though sometimes as decorations) in adverts that sell cars or are associated with sport.
 
Male participants felt that the advert is confusing and they were not sure what it is selling. One man observed that by showing two men, the advert implies that men are better drivers than women which is not true.
 
This advert clearly portrays rallying as a sport for men. It also associates men with victory and power. The caption ‘double victory’ implies that having two men is a double victory.
 
Training exercises
Ask female participants if they know what motor rallying is and if they have taken part in such sports before.
Ask male participants if motor racing is a sport for men only.
Ask male and female participants if it would be desirable for more women to play this sport.
Is motor rallying a sport at all and should it be encouraged in this era of wasting carbon fuels and the subsequent devastating effects of global warming?


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