The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2017
Audi China's wedding ad showed a mother-in-law inspecting the bride like a used car
A 2017 Audi China ad showed a mother-in-law checking a bride's nose, ears and teeth at the altar. Audi pulled the ad and apologised within days.
Audi · FAW-Volkswagen Audi
What happened
In July 2017, Audi's Chinese joint venture posted a commercial for second-hand certified cars on its official WeChat and Youku channels. The ad opened at a wedding ceremony, where the groom's mother rushes to the altar and physically inspects the bride — pinching her nose, pulling her ears, checking her teeth — before giving a nod of approval. The voiceover compared the inspection to buying a certified used car: 'an important decision must be made carefully.'
Chinese social media erupted. Thousands of users called the ad sexist and dehumanising, comparing women to commodities on a used-car lot. Comments included 'I will not buy an Audi in this lifetime' and 'disastrous marketing.' Users questioned whether any women were involved in approving the commercial.
Audi withdrew the ad and issued a statement: 'Audi deeply regrets that this commercial, which was only intended to promote Audi's certified used cars, has caused widespread misunderstanding. The perception created by this advertisement does not correspond to the values of our company in any way.'
Why it happened
- The metaphor was the message: comparing a bride to a used car turned women into products with depreciation curves, and the mother-in-law's inspection normalised the transaction.
- The audience was the market: Audi's Chinese customers include the couples buying cars together — the ad insulted half its buyer base at the point of purchase.
- The ad agency likely created it for the used-car division, but it carried the Audi brand: a sub-brand's creative decision damaged the parent.
- The values defence was reflexive: 'does not correspond to our values' is the standard apology template, but the ad had to pass multiple approvals before publication — the values were not in the room.
The lesson
If the creative metaphor compares your customer to a product, the customer remembers being compared to a product. No sub-brand firewall protects the parent brand.
Sources
- BBC — 'Audi advert criticised in China for being sexist', 2017-07-19
- The Diplomat — 'Audi Apologizes for Ad in China Comparing Women to Used Cars', 2017-07
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