Audi’s commercial “daughter”

Audi aired their commercial ad in 2017 a 60 seconds ad on the Super Bowl to push a progressive political cause which seems not really related to selling cars at first but if we try to reason as what Jean Baudrillard had argued as commodities are not merely to be characterized by use-value and exchange value, as in Marx’s theory of the commodity , but sign-value , the expression and mark of style, prestige, luxury, power and so on. It is somehow promoting its co-value with slogan “ a progressive change” along with an expression of support and try to convince the customers that what there are stand for is what majority of the consumers’s belief and they set an stage for the future consumers.

Target audience

With narrator’s rhetorical questions of what he has to tell his daughter of her place in society can communicate with all the fathers but also who believes in gender equality. The visual part is set in somewhere in America where this girl is racing with other kids mostly boys can directly connect to American kids and their future so the possible reach of target audience is not only American parents and gender equality but also possibility of future loyal customers.

By taking a stand on a political stand which majority of people or customers believe is somehow Audi is trying to set themselves a sign-value(Jean Baudrillard) and to identify themselves along with majority’s core value.

Method

Even from the story telling point of view they build up the story from number of questions which are related to today’s political situation and then completing the story with an answer or result by showing their logo and a slogan Audi of America is committed to equal pay for equal work. Progress is for everyone. They compared their core value and that core value is shared with everyone.

Recalling Baudrillard’s argument , that the entire society is organized around consumption and display of commodities through which individuals gain prestige, identity, and standing. In this system, the more prestigious one’s commodities , the higher one’s standing in the realm of sign value. So does Audi’s commercial ad that they try to identify themselves among the auto companies and building their prestige or value, to make Audi’s car as a symbol of that believe .