[VIDEO] Sexist Toyota 86 Commercial is Only for Men
It might only be February, but 2017 is already shaping up to be one of the weirdest years on file. While looking to the future, one might have assumed that by 2017, we’d be much closer to achieving equal rights for all—but instead, we are governed by an orange Cheeto who objectifies women and makes derogatory comments about disabled people and Mexicans. With that in mind (and the sheer number of people who are taking to the streets and organizing to protest the president’s agenda), it’s a little surprising to come across the following commercial from Toyota:
The Toyota 86 is by no means a new model. It’s sold around the world as the GT86, but for some reason, the automaker sold it as the Scion FR-S and the Subaru BRZ here in America. Of course, after Scion’s demise, Toyota couldn’t let Subaru have all the glory, so they rebadged it to become the Toyota 86, as many enthusiasts always believed it should be. So, for all intents and purposes, this is a new Toyota model in the US, and Toyota is marketing the crap out of it for that reason.
The issue with this commercial is that it is aimed solely at men. And maybe men are Toyota’s target market here. But not only men want to drive affordable two-seater sports cars. By marketing this car as designed for men with hot girlfriends who they send to the spa so they can go drifting, Toyota is alienating its women customers who might be in the market for a car such as the 86. If I were in the market for a car like this, I would be seriously turned off by this commercial and would probably buy a Mazda MX-5 instead.
Perhaps Toyota doesn’t care all that much about stereotyping and offending women with this commercial, but given the current political climate, you’d think the automaker would want to avoid the wrath of women who are already riled up and angry with what’s going on in our country.
On the other hand, here I am taking about it and giving it more airtime, so maybe Toyota’s plan is working exactly how they intended.
Catherine Hiles (she/her) is a native Brit living and working in Dayton, Ohio. Cat has written about a variety of subjects, including finance, cars, and parenting. She is a frequent contributor to Dayton Mom Collective, The Penny Hoarder, and WDW Magazine.
Cat lives with her husband, their two kids, and their energetic pitbull mix. She counts running, lifting weights, walking, and reading among her hobbies. See more articles by Cat.