People get offended by everything so Audi apologizes for a campaign photo
Sep 16, 2020
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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Audi was recently accused of running an “insensitive” campaign for the Audi RS4 Avant. The German car manufacturer shared a photo of a girl leaning against the car grille eating a banana. However, it has caused a strong backlash. People were so offended that Audi was forced to take the photo down and issue a public apology.
Audi first tweeted the photo with a caption “Lets your heart beat faster – in every aspect.”
And then, the Karens spoke up. “So, let your heart beat faster in every aspect? Picture of – child with banana in mouth and flash car – so wrong in EVERY aspect,” one Twitter user wrote. Another user over-analyzed every single detail of the image: “I don’t get 3 things together: 1. Sports cars stand for potency. 2. Why does a little girl in a short big cat dress (symbol for eroticism) stand in front of such a potency substitute and 3. Why does she have a banana (phallus symbol) in hand?” And I thought I was over-analytical. Probably my favorite comment is this one: “Little girl with phallic symbol in hand. Sure, great…” I don’t know, dude, where I live we see bananas as food.
Another aspect of this fierce criticism pointed out to the girl being in a dangerous position. “When I saw the photo of the child, my heart lurched. I have drummed into my children NEVER to stand in front of or behind a car as you may not be seen,” one Twitter user wrote, wondering if any parents were involved in the design. Personally, I find this sensible. If nothing else, it certainly has more sense than seeing a child eating a banana as anything else than that.
Apparently, there were so many people who were disturbed by a little girl eating a banana that Audi had to pull the photo and issue an apology:
“We hear you and let’s get this straight: We care for children. The Audi RS 4 is a family car with more than thirty driver assistance systems including an emergency [brake] system. That’s why we showcased it with various family members for the campaign.
We hoped we could convey these messages, showing that even for the weakest traffic participants it is possible to relaxingly lean on the RS technology. That was a mistake! Audi never intended to hurt anyone’s feelings.
We sincerely apologize for this insensitive image and ensure that it will not be used in [the] future. We will also immediately examine internally, how this campaign has been created and if control mechanisms failed in this case.”
We hear you and let’s get this straight: We care for children. The Audi RS 4 is a family car with more than thirty driver assistance systems including an emergency break system. That’s why we showcased it with various family members for the campaign. (1/3)
— Audi (@AudiOfficial) August 3, 2020
Even the apology received some criticism, but some people were on Audi’s side. “This is a society where people ‘complained’ that an Audi advert was too ‘provocative’ for showing a little 4 year old girl dressed in a cute fashionable dress and shades, eating a banana happily. Shouldn’t those ‘complainers’ have their hard drives checked?” one user wrote. Another user argued: “If you look at a picture like this and automatically see something sexual I’d argue that it is YOU with a sick mind…”
This is a society where people"complained" that an Audi advert was too "provocative" for showing a little 4byear old girl dressed in a cute fashionable dress and shades, eating a banana happily. Shouldn't those "complainers" have their hard drives checked?
— Trisha (@suaveblackswan) September 15, 2020
An image of a little girl eating a banana in an Audi ad has received lots of criticism. If you look at a picture like this and automatically see something sexual I'd argue that it is YOU with a sick mind…
— Feliz NaviChad 🎅🎄🎁 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ (@Chadderbox2018) August 5, 2020
Honestly, the only thing I find a little concerning about this photo is that the girl is standing in front of the car. I can’t even say why, but let’s say that it just doesn’t look safe. Other than that, I only see an adorable little girl eating a banana. Since when did eating a banana become a sexual act? I think that if you see something sexual in a child eating a banana, it’s therapy time. But that’s just me.
What do you think about this? Did Audi go over the top? Or was it the public that went too far with the criticism?
[via PetaPixel]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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24 responses to “People get offended by everything so Audi apologizes for a campaign photo”
time for a classy meme, huh
Offensensitive…
those people have very dirty mind if they are offended by this picture….
No, those who are worried how dirty the society has become are offended.
Karen. So funny. Those were just soccer moms in the 90’s
Heh, I learned English much later than the ’90s. :) I know the expression “soccer mom” but I didn’t know it means the same as “Karen” means in 2020s. :)
And there goes my respect for Audi.
Oh, give it a rest offended people….
You all got trolled, well done.
Imagine, as a parent, the filth in your mind you must have to see this ad photo and think anything sexual about it. Maybe we should shame everyone holding a banana at the grocery store as well? What about people walking around in public at a park eating a banana, should that be banned?
Parents are the reason that kids turn out the way they are, not Audi or Netflix.
The apology validates them. Audi even said they were insensitive for posting? So is audi claiming it is supposed to view everything from the perspective that a fringe part of society sexualizes literally everything they see? The people complaining clearly were not customers. And best part, they are even complaining about the apology!
There’s a point where you say “no, that’s not what our ad meant, you are the ones reading into things that are not there.”
I mostly angry that this is a big slap in the face to the photographer, the little girl and her family, and everyone involved with the ad. It’s like making them partially responsible for the unreasonable responses of people who are clearly mentally unwell.
Apologies don’t validate in this hypersensitive, spineless culture.
It is true that people watch to much pornography today. The result they see everywhere after. The only thing disturb me first it is the ganger for a kid to stand against the car. but on the over side Audi have so much technology that the car will detect the kid if the driver want to go.
Just like that black kid who appeared on a Gap ad wearing a shirt saying “King of the Monkeys.” Such an innocent photo and any kid would love to be King of the Monkeys. His mom super proud of him but lo and behold, the internet is full of snowflake sjw’s and worse, the world actually listend to these cancerous cells. Sigh.
I don’t really see an issue with the picture. It’s the phrase they chose to use that felt wrong.
I agree, the text do not fit the image and can only raise question about the overall content.
The picture is still weird cause I will not let my small sized kid goes too close to a car. They can be hidden from the driver view and get smashed, especially with “sport car drivers attitude”
Also, the front of a car are usually quite dirty and not the best place to eat a banana or stand.
Each picture going out of a advertising campaign got many validation and I still interested to understand what make this composition possible.
In Poland at the Warsaw Museum they pulled down artwork by Natalia Ll because it was a woman eating a banana in a sexual manner. There was a social media protest of #bananagate #bananaselfie
So YES online, photos of women eating bananas for #bananaselfie is usually of a sexual nature. People aren’t “offended” so much as pointing out the lack of awareness by Audis marketing team.
What lack of awareness by Audi? That some sick psycho will see dirty sexuality in a photo of a kid eating a banana? It’s not the photo that should be removed. It’s the psychos who should be removed, not just from the net, but from the face of this planet.
Stupidity is the new clever. ?
why is this popping back up now, after 2 months?
A girl child eating a banana is non-issue. A picture of a girl child posing for an advertisement in a manner that has all the wrong connotations IS THE ISSUE.
For one, what was the reason for selecting a girl and not a boy? (Don’t they always show women with very short dresses in car advertisements).
Two. What message do young children of that age and height get when they look at this ad?
Three. What aspects are NOT implied in the phrase “So, let your heart beat faster in every aspect”?
The only reason this blew up is because Audi decided to respond.
I’m patting myself on the back for being able to tell when a banana is just a banana.
Just wait until McDonald’s has a black person eating a McRib sandwich.