Toyota: Oh what a creepy feeling

Radical Chick says:

01:52pm | 14/12/09

Toyota should know that women are major costumers too and this so-called ad can be seen as an attack on all of us. I would expect an apology.
But as I would not have one I ( who am in the market for a brand new car right now) will not be purchasing one from Toyota even if two of my top lists are Toyota.
Oh what a feeling…...

Richard says:

01:59pm | 14/12/09

Much as I want to share this crap with my friends, I won’t even do that much for Toyota. But, how on earth did they thinkk this was promting anything at all good for Toyota ????

regina says:

02:08pm | 14/12/09

oh so the ad was ‘selected in an arms length fashion”?  presumably by people who dont have children or functioning moral compasses.

the bloodsucking morons working in the advertising and auto industries who are responsible for this effort should hang their heads in shame.

mind you the best car ad ever isnt entirely devoid of sexual innuendo but at least all the kids in it are safely waving from a window of a school bus. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vvyneWk81o

Ella says:

02:11pm | 14/12/09

It’s not just Toyota that’s has horrendous attitude towards how it represents women in advertising. The new Fysher and Pykel ad, that suggests their products are good because they give women more time to watch tv and read gossip mags, is to my mind just as derogatory.
I mean really, who thinks up these things.

Me says:

02:19pm | 14/12/09

This is exactly the sort of publicity Toyota is hoping to gain!! It was surprisingly well acted… but tacky.

T.Chong says:

02:23pm | 14/12/09

unfunny, awful, sad,and yes, sick..
The 13+14yos are the only ones who find this cool, and they wont be buying the car
.“come too prematurely “sounds exactly what the guys and gals who wrote this,would have done.

 

”

Colleen A says:

02:26pm | 14/12/09

Particularly stupid when a Yaris is such a ‘girl’s car’ anyway. Who did they think was going to buy it when it was advertised this way?

afr says:

02:27pm | 14/12/09

Whilst its in poor taste, I think you’re overreacting a tad Penbo.

John Foreman says:

02:32pm | 14/12/09

its actually quite funny - and it’s supposed “incestuous” overtones are nothing more than an example of unintentional humour - ie when a party says something that they dont realise can be misconstrued. really people, is there nothing better to do with your time then claim to be victimized by this ad?

James Musgrave says:

02:32pm | 14/12/09

Their ad with the car rolling sedately off the front of the aircraft carrier was pretty cool!  Was that a Yaris ad too?

Ron says:

02:33pm | 14/12/09

Who says “I’m ready to blow” when they want to leave anyway??

Concerned says:

02:39pm | 14/12/09

um…...No T. Chong…..
I doubt a 13 yr old or 14 yr old girl would find this ad ‘cool’..... A dad referring to their daughter sexually?
Some people on this site concern me more than any material that’s been referenced!

Emma says:

02:47pm | 14/12/09

Sure, the ad is in bad taste but the only question I am left with is why is the Dad so pale? Is he a flesh eating zombie? If so, his daughter has bigger problems than the creep in the Yaris.

First werewolves; now zombies?

skeptical69 says:

02:48pm | 14/12/09

All of my friends would laugh at this ad but none of us would buy such a ‘soft’ car as a Yaris. I can see how this add would upset the sanctimonious Prius type buyers but as far as I’m concerned, this is a ‘storm in a D cup’.

Chainie B. says:

02:57pm | 14/12/09

Yuk what a revolting ad.

I’ve been waiting for Toyota to put out something that wasn’t spud-ugly, but that’s been a few years now and it still doesn’t look like any time soon. 

This ad makes it even tougher.  So now in order to get the reliability I’m used to, I not only have to wait for something that’s not fat, chunky and bland, but now I also have to put up with repugnant ads too?

Can anyone tell me how reliable is Volvo or Jaguar?

KJ says:

02:57pm | 14/12/09

Whoa. That’s just gross.

Clearly no-one on the selection panel for this ad was female, had female children OR had any skerrick of good taste.

Toyota, this is really disappointing.

Bonzi! says:

03:03pm | 14/12/09

Was actually like watching something that is funny in a different colture, yet horrible in our own. Kinda like killing whales amd dolphins.

Tim the Toolman says:

03:05pm | 14/12/09

Are you lives truly so shallow, boring, bland, insignificant, tired and vanilla flavoured that you feel the need to be offended by something like this.  Personally I find the inability of someone to understand the difference between “his” and “her” as pronouns.  Quote: “in which a father discusses her daughter’s”.  I’m sure some of you could find offence in the idea of a female father figure.  Go nuts!

Darren says:

03:06pm | 14/12/09

I think everyone’s missing the point.  That chick is hot.

Jason says:

03:10pm | 14/12/09

I can’t believe Toyota would represent a healthy, attractive young woman as someone who engages in and enjoys sex!  Or would find innuendo amusing.  The shame!  Far more accurate to represent them as boring repressed prudes as evidenced by the comments on this story.

Rob says:

03:11pm | 14/12/09

This is a funny ad to the 18 to 30 year old market - I thought it was a crack up. BUT it’s not appropriate for general viewing on TV even I can understand that children shouldn’t be exposed to such underlying theme’s.

But in saying that it was a good laugh…

James says:

03:11pm | 14/12/09

Wow, this is the worst ad ever.  I think it must have been dreamed up by a disgruntled employee (or a competitor) to hurt Toyota.  Pretty safe to say the person who came up with (and approved) this idea was off their tits on crack and has now been fired.

SC says:

03:19pm | 14/12/09

Ah - the great Australian sense of humour we hear so much about but see so little evidence of.

Callum says:

03:21pm | 14/12/09

I hope they ban that ad with the dog saying “Bugger”

Everytime i see it, all i think about is buggering the **** out of the dog.

OH WHAT A FEELING

Luke says:

03:22pm | 14/12/09

This add might be funny for 15 year olds. They need to get some adults working in advertising at Toyota obviously.

Bored says:

03:22pm | 14/12/09

This is why I don’t watch commericals, they are crappy.  This is no more or less than others of similar ilk.  Think UTE ads.

Cj says:

03:28pm | 14/12/09

So I’m guessing all the other ads in the comp were even more offensive and lame?

Budz says:

03:28pm | 14/12/09

Haha, that is terrible! It’s as if Toyota commissioned the makers of Amercan Pie to make them an ad!

check your grammar says:

03:29pm | 14/12/09

“Personally I find the inability of someone to understand the difference between “his” and “her” as pronouns”. You find it ... what exactly Tim the Toolman?!? I don’t know why people who like the ad have to offend those who don’t when the reverse isn’t happening.

WMM says:

03:29pm | 14/12/09

@ Tim the Toolman
You sentence: ‘I’m sure some of you could find offence in the idea of a female father figure.  Go nuts’
doesn’t make any sense mate. I’d hold off attacking someone on their use of pro-nouns for the moment….

Nathman says:

03:33pm | 14/12/09

Is it just me or has everyone missed the daughter checking out her dates bum at 0:50 and probably thinking all sorts of naughty things?? Now there’s a good girl.

giorgia says:

03:36pm | 14/12/09

I am a young person and that is disgusting
That has completely turned me off every buying a toyota

Maccas says:

03:39pm | 14/12/09

This is what they pay $300 grand a year to ‘creatives’ for.

Brad Coward says:

03:41pm | 14/12/09

Come on !  This was really a piss-take rather than a mistake, surely !  Any advertising executive with even half a mind would have realised that such a commercial wouldn’t really be on air for particularly long.  Pembo, your shock and horror is a tad overdone.  Reminds me of a Victorianesque lady ordering a “bossom” of chicken because she can’t bring herself to asking for a breast !  I’ll bet that you get the vapours when somebody uses the word “doorknob” or you happen to catch sight of an umbrella stand, don’t you ?

Funny says:

03:41pm | 14/12/09

Greatest ad I have every seen…...Girls get off your high horse and get in a Yaris.

Mick says:

03:43pm | 14/12/09

I guess it’s sexist and stuff. But this is more offensive for its complete misreading of what is and isn’t funny. Think about it - someone, many people in fact, sat in many rooms, many times, and all agreed that this would be amusing and resonate with people to a point where they would go out and buy one of these cars. The result - a piece of try-hard, adolescent humour. It’s so bad that a fart joke would have improved it ten-fold. The ad agency should be named and shamed for its crapness.

nic says:

03:43pm | 14/12/09

It’s a crap ad. Penbo is right. It has no real repect for anyone, the customer, the product, the company.

Andrew says:

03:44pm | 14/12/09

This type of ad is evidence of the tasteless and smutty humour which pervades society today, ‘comedians’ like Russell Brand and shows like Family Guy are proof of this. Utterly unfunny, and appealing to the lowest common denominator. Unfortunately a lot of people seem to enjoy this brand of ‘humour’.

matt&amy; says:

03:44pm | 14/12/09

wow i normally can stand sexual jokes but its kindda disgusting having the father discuss it with the boyfriend in that manner.

obviously moral standards arnt in order for many individuals - judging from comments made by some. i assume they’re are the sort of individuals that treat women as a piece of MEATand nothing more.

hopefully one day you will share the disgust many of us feel regarding the advertisment, And come to understand WHY we do what we do.

EM says:

03:45pm | 14/12/09

David Penberthy, you sir are an idiot.  Get a life, and please, get the hell off my planet.

Billie says:

03:47pm | 14/12/09

To Ella (03:11pm | 14/12/09) - there are ads that are derogatory to men as well, but somehow they’re acceptable and amusing, and any number are car ads.  There was one where the ‘hero’ had the giant ute and the deep voice, while the other had very high voices, implying that the ‘hero’ had bigger balls. If we compare an ad showing women reading gossip mags and watching TV to an ad showing men drinking beer and watching sport on TV, is the latter as derogatory?

Fair’s fair, after all.

Objective Observer says:

03:49pm | 14/12/09

Really dumb advert… and to have the father of the girl condone and even celebrate by flying up into the air such conduct,  makes it even dumber.. But there is a wider issue ..it speaks volumes about the moral standards of the Australian Clever Film Comp ...  it seems they have none !!

And what about Toyata ? Obviously it’s an organisation which places profits before ethics !!

Brad Coward says:

03:49pm | 14/12/09

Shock and horror !  Blatant sexual innuendo used in advertising !  Who’d have ever “thunk” that such a thing would happen ?  Bottle of smelling salts and a pack of paracetamol to Mr Pemberthy’s office, immediately.  He appears to have had a bad attack of advertorial induced PC !

I’m sure that Mr Pemberthy’s indignation will see Toyota sales drop not just nationally, but internationally as well !  Now if only we can get the PM’s view of the situation.  That hasn’t been canvassed ????  What the !!!!!!!

Lauren says:

03:50pm | 14/12/09

Oh wow, its a serious ad then? I thought it would be something you’d find on those sketch comedy shows.

Kika says:

04:03pm | 14/12/09

This ad made my stomach churn. It’s unbelievably offensive on so many levels. OK one pun would have been tolerable. But the whole thing? When he started going on about it - shocking. Girls buy these cars anyway? Who were they trying to impress? I was actually thinking about buying a Toyota - not now.

Sahara says:

04:03pm | 14/12/09

I liked the part where the dad asks if he has any protection and the boyfriend replies “yeah I’ve got a Yaris”

Works for me. What self respecting girl is going to sleep with a loser driving a yaris?

Senate Watcher says:

04:12pm | 14/12/09

The other point everyone is missing is that no self respecting boy that shaves [he’s not a man, lets face it] would be seen dead in a Toyota Yaris.

Petra says:

04:15pm | 14/12/09

It’s not offensive, it’s just childish, maybe funny for teenagers. Must have been work experience students working in advertising and marketing this week.

Jason says:

04:38pm | 14/12/09

“One of the worst ads ever made.” Maybe.
One of the worst articles ever written. No doubt. Settle down big guy, pretending to be indignant and outraged in order to get the support of female readers doesn’t suit you. Pretty soft target too.
And everyone reader here who ends their post with “Oh, What a Feeling.” That’s just so clever! I never would have thought of that! Maybe you should be writing the next Toyota ad.

Greg says:

04:41pm | 14/12/09

It swrong on so many levels, which self respecting bloke drives a Yaris?

But if you can pull chicks that that, Im buying one.

RJB says:

04:42pm | 14/12/09

How predictable that we would hear from the supportive teens who love a giggle at anything tit and bum. I did expect more of the old “get a life” from the pimple brigade.

Rob says:

04:48pm | 14/12/09

Is there a jar of iSpread2.0 in the background of the ad or is its legacy just living on in the internet frenzy the Yaris ad has caused?

RB says:

04:53pm | 14/12/09

Bit precious arent we people?From the sounds of Davids article he is almost in tears, the poor offended thing.The ad was brilliant.

Jame says:

04:59pm | 14/12/09

What a shocker. A bit of sexist advertising is one thing, but this is about as funny as eating razor blades

Zoetic says:

05:04pm | 14/12/09

WMM 4.29pm. Read the article again MATE! Attack someone for their use of a pro-noun?
Oh what a Wanker!

Brad Coward says:

05:04pm | 14/12/09

Has the advertisement been successful ?  Hell yes !  Everyone is talking about it and mentioning the product…Toyota Yaris.  You can either love, like or loathe the ad !  It has achieved what it set out to do.

Have the ambo’s arrived to assist David Pemberthy yet ?  I’d hate to think that he might be driving home in peak hour traffic without having recieved suitable medical attention for the fit that he obviously had whilst writing his article !

Sam says:

05:05pm | 14/12/09

Cheap, tacky and not very clever at all - a 14 yr old could have put that together - probably did…

Zoetic says:

05:07pm | 14/12/09

Sorry Jason.

Eric says:

05:18pm | 14/12/09

You all need to have a Bex and a good lie down.

TSD says:

05:20pm | 14/12/09

Get over it people. That was a funny advertisement. Man I think feminism is back…..Overkill ladies…..

ray hawkes says:

05:26pm | 14/12/09

Totally gross ad.  Demeans the whole Toyota brand.

Heather says:

05:27pm | 14/12/09

Up until now I was a staunch Toyota user—my last new car was a corolla and I hated selling it. Great little cars. Maybe it’s about time manuracturers realised that women buy cars too. I thought we were beyond this sort of matey crap? (OTOH the beer ads that have the bloke refusing to crack on to his bf’s sister? Brilliant!)

Andy says:

05:27pm | 14/12/09

Wow, to suggest that you would not buy a toyota because of this marketing campaign? Oh my god what is wrong with people are we that precious? Im actually shocked that this would offend someone. How is sex offensive, just because it’s a chick involved it must be sexist? What about that small penis advert from the tac or whatever it was. Never heard one woman say that was offensive. They just laughed and took it as it was intended. Give me a break

Mary says:

05:36pm | 14/12/09

What a terribly degrading add towards MEN. Depicting them as shallow and only interested in one thing. What is a bit of a shock is that he actually says what most young men are thinking when they pick up a girl on a date, but reassuringly he will be home by 11. What a nice boy. As for the girl, she only says what she is thinking, she is ready to blow not have sex. Get real people, this is interesting, not necessarily funny, definitely not incestuous and not for general publication, but it’s light and stereotypically correct.

Mrs F says:

05:36pm | 14/12/09

Meh.. Ads are ads - this one is working as its making people talk about it regardless of negative or positive reaction.  . Everyone is entitled to their opinion but many ads use sexual imagery or innuendo to sell a product. It’s not offensive to me as a female. I also drive a Yaris

Tony Cooper says:

05:41pm | 14/12/09

Isn’t a Yaris just a little small?
I would like to see them substantiate their claims!
P.S. the girl didn’t seem to complain - people are so touchy these days….

Pete of Greenway says:

05:54pm | 14/12/09

Ad, after ad, after ad is on TV depicting men as stupid and women as oh-so-smart. Where is the outrage about this? Personally, I don’t give a crap, but it has to go both ways.

Stefano says:

06:01pm | 14/12/09

The advertising is clearly working. So many of my parents’ neighbours in their retirement village drive a Yaris, it must be.

Leigh says:

06:05pm | 14/12/09

Sounds like a lot of the people commenting her would find Rove a ‘bit edgy’.
Lighten up!
This was not an ad made by Toyota, it was an entrant in a short film competition. Toyota decided it was the best in the competition and made it the winner.

Michael says:

06:19pm | 14/12/09

Boring string of cliches.  Unfunny. Offensive. Who is this meant to appeal to?

I was wondering if I was going to see something sink lower than the Commonwealth Bank ads.

Is it coincidence that this story breaks the same day as the story about the lucrative Australian coke market?

Dave says:

06:24pm | 14/12/09

Get a grip you lot.  It wasnt particularly funny but for those of us who have not gone past “undergraduate” in humour level if filled in the minute well enough.  For those of you howling outrage into the cybersphere:  <<blows rasperry>>.  Go get some therapy to get over your ordeal.

Duggie D says:

06:26pm | 14/12/09

Wow, and I thought MY life was boring. I think David needs a hug! There there, I`ll make the bad toyota go away.

Mike says:

06:32pm | 14/12/09

This is just crass and unthinking.  It’s a step back to the dark ages.  It’s not even funny, just degrading to all involved.

Steve Power says:

06:49pm | 14/12/09

Hmmm well none of the females I know found this ad offensive at all. But then again, they all like sex too. As do I. Seems the only women who find this offensive have female sexual dysfunction and have never had an orgasm before. Don’t try to force your miserable nature on to the rest of us who are out and about enjoying life. You’re all so very sad.

doug says:

06:52pm | 14/12/09

dumb and stupid.

Rocket says:

06:52pm | 14/12/09

I thought it was brilliant. Should be more of it.

Pete T says:

07:11pm | 14/12/09

Its really just tasteless, almost like a comedy sketch on a Toyota ad…but I doubt in this day and age such an ad would even suceeed there…It is pretty incestuous and one wonders about the apparent relationship between the sexualised 17 year old and the father who seems to want to pass on the sexual servicing mantle to the boyfriend.

Tony says:

07:30pm | 14/12/09

Presumably humour these days has to be so unsubtle as to include overt sexual references as puns. This is the gutter that Toyota seems to think is acceptable. I see that people are starting to buy anything but Toyotas in the Yaris class (i.e., Ford Fiesta and Mazda 2). Hey Toyota, how’s your sense of humour now?

http://www.carpoint.com.au/news/2009/toyota/explained-toyotas-sales-slump-in-2009-17693

BW says:

07:33pm | 14/12/09

Penbo, here’s another irony: Fairfax has reported this story by including the full video ad, complete with an introductory Holden ad ending with the line: “SIDI direct injection: Go better.”

It’s true! Check it out at:
http://www.theage.com.au/national/sexist-toyotas-online-ad-competition-backfires-20091214-krn9.html?autostart=1

Sam says:

07:47pm | 14/12/09

Yes, it’s a stupid and immature ad, but Dave, in writing about it in such a manner, you are in fact accomplishing exactly what Toyota has intended by allowing the ad to be shown. The ad was never intended to be anything but viral, and the media outrage it was always going to generate is the publicity Toyota wants. Remember: there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

Chris says:

07:48pm | 14/12/09

How many checks and balances has this passed through before being posted on the net? Appalling and unbelievable!

Margaret says:

08:08pm | 14/12/09

Very low-brow ad.
Classless-like the respondants who agreed that this ad was great.
I’ve got a great sense of humour-but for clever things. This was scum.

Tim the Toolman says:

08:12pm | 14/12/09

“You sentence: ‘I’m sure some of you could find offence in the idea of a female father figure.  Go nuts’
doesn’t make any sense mate. I’d hold off attacking someone on their use of pro-nouns for the moment…. “

Your lack of comprehension is not my issue.  The sentence makes perfect sense.  And you should have written “Your sentence” not “You sentence”.

T.Newham says:

08:25pm | 14/12/09

I just did not find it funny, and really it is just very tasteless. What was Toyoda (this is not a mispelt, Toyota was started by a person named Toyoda but changed for marketing purposes) thinking. I am sure the back lash they will get now from the women buyers will make them think twice next time.

Ron says:

09:39pm | 14/12/09

Tony Cooper, the girl is an actress.  OF COURSE she isn’t going to complain as it isn’t in the script!!

Some people ...

TB says:

09:47pm | 14/12/09

This ad reminds me of all those Chaser skits of “Are You Being Shagged?” where they took something that was already fairly low-brow and stripped away whatever vestigial subtlety the original show had (no mean feat in my opinion). It would appear that writers these days just don’t do subtlety, and what’s worse is that some of the worst offenders are frighteningly successful - Matt Stone and Trey Parker spring instantly to mind (I don’t have a great deal against South Park, but you must admit that you do not have to do a great deal of mental legwork to figure out what they’re on about in each episode). The witless fools who came up with this commercial may as well have just shot 30 seconds of the car rocking back and forth. It would’ve communicated the same gutter-minded ideas without ruffling so many feathers. It’d still be a piss-poor commercial, though.

Nate says:

10:07pm | 14/12/09

lolz political correctness gone made again.  What is wrong with that, author needs to lighten up as do a lot of the negative comments.  Sit back, relax and have a laugh - you obviously all need it.

Guys put up with what could be deemed as offensive rubbish almost 24/7 (try finding a positive male role model on tv) we are all dribbling, goofball idiots if mainstream media’s portrayal had any accuracy - luckily we know how to have a good laugh and move on.

Seriously ladies how do you expect to cope with high level executive roles when you can’t take even this sort of heat?

Vicki PS says:

10:12pm | 14/12/09

@Steve Power: “[N]one of the females I know found this ad offensive at all. But then again, they all like sex too.”  These would be the ones that service all their boyfriend’s mates on the bonnet of the Commodore, right?  Word to the wise, Stevie m’boy—those that can, do.  The rest talk about it.
@Sam:  Admen might still believe the old saw about any publicity being good publicity, but the buying public apparently haven’t heard that one.

Russell says:

10:19pm | 14/12/09

Love it, Brilliantly funny advert. All you politically correct fools with nothing better to do should get a life!

AdamC says:

10:22pm | 14/12/09

Sheesh, after all the hype about how nasty this ad was – what a let-down when I actually watched it! This goes to show how easy it is, with a few selected quotations and confected outrage, for the media to generate hysteria in its audience.

The thing’s actually quite mild - a bit cheeky maybe - and, while far from a masterpiece, should hardly qualify as shocking in the twenty-first century. The people who allowed themselves to get so hot and bothered about this (wording intended) should reflect on how easily they have been manipulated by online hacks looking for hits.

Take a deep breath and watch the thing again, people.

Bob says:

10:23pm | 14/12/09

Please people, the ad is like an episode of “Married with children”, the references are so over the top and unbelievable there’s no way you’d take it seriously.

Max says:

10:43pm | 14/12/09

I find this commercial very offensive. I cant beleive this was signed off and launched. FAIL!
Talk about damaging your brand overnight. Wont be spending a cent on a toyota, it will just give them more money to spend on stupid commericials!

Pete says:

10:50pm | 14/12/09

Bloody hell, talk about sense of humour failure!! This was meant to be funny, and I think it is, and it doesn’t alter my respect for people of all three genders one iota.

PC is dulling life to the point where it will be a criminal offence to laugh soon, oh for the days of Carry on films and their double entendre, which is the basis of the humour in this advert. Crikey, even the Simpsons has mastered the use of double entendre, irony, sarcasm and pathos.

Eric says:

10:54pm | 14/12/09

About as clever as Hey Hey it’s Saturday - and probably appeals to the same low brow audience.

Kim says:

11:21pm | 14/12/09

What an offensive, stupid, sexist, creepy ad towards women - and I have a GREAT sense of humor.  **ss off Toyota and SHAME on you.  You honestly thought that was funny?  What sort of f**kwit writers do you employ from Ad agencies?  I currently own a Toyota, but will NEVER buy one again.

Senate Watcher says:

12:16am | 15/12/09

Doesn’t anyone have relationships anymore [not just have sex?]

Steven says:

06:36am | 15/12/09

Penbo you need to get a grip. What a total over-reaction. There is no “attack on the dignity of women” here for goodness sake. It portrays two consenting adults, who are in a relationship who both seem to be gagging for it. The humour comes from the father going from being typically concerned to supportive because they are going out in supposedly such a safe car. Its ironic. Thats what makes it funny.

Dean says:

07:00am | 15/12/09

I’m running survey about what impact the Clever Film Competition will have on Toyota.
I’m curious to see if I can quantify the impact of the event on the Toyota and Yaris brands.
If you’d like to participate click here:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KH3B2JV
I’ll share the results in a few days.
BTW – I am not acting on behalf of Toyota or Saatchi’s but do plan to share the results with them.

~Rumpleteazer~ says:

07:34am | 15/12/09

And while we are on the subject of crappy adds, the worst one on tv, is the cute and gorgeous baby who gets into a car with its mother and then POOF! The whole car is covered in baby shite inside.  This is a real shocker, I can’t even remember what the product was as I find it so grosse.

Richard says:

07:42am | 15/12/09

Wit and satire are only good when you sympathise with the sentiments being expressed huh? Being edgy and avant garde is all well and goo, so long as you have your cheer squad behind you? The greatest crime of that ad is not being particularly funny. It’s no more sexist that any number ads portraying men as oafish and simpleminded (some of which are funny).

Nicholas James says:

08:11am | 15/12/09

come on! it’s pretty funny. how precious are we as a society? sound the alarms!! someone or something was politically incorrect!!!

C says:

08:18am | 15/12/09

My friend’s brother was the film maker behind this and I was shown the ad a while back. Basically they progressed far enough in the competition that they were getting paid to produce an ad, but had no real intention of winning it. So they made this for a laugh. It was never meant to be a serious ad or shown on tv.

Either way, it’s done the job better than they could’ve planned. Bad publicity is still publicity.

And I agree with Rumpleteazer. The add with the poo explosion is way more disgusting. This Toyota one is a play on words that a lot of thought has gone into.

Grant says:

09:05am | 15/12/09

Clearly toyota has missed the mark in regards to its desired demographic..  18 - 35yr Males doesn’t = yaris.

However, Penberttthy, as much as this ad is offensive and mildy amsuing at the same time.  I think maybe you have overeacted and should take a bex and have a lie down.

Matt says:

09:18am | 15/12/09

Try this one Pembo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itz4O0prNcg

Much better !

dancan says:

09:42am | 15/12/09

I thought people were just over reacting about this ad….till I watched it.

An obvious attack on the dignity of women?  Probably.  But I’d say it’s an obvious attack on the dignity of anyone who watched it.  Such a tacky and tasteless commercial, I can’t believe anyone would watch that and think “great!” More so Toyota I mean really…they thought this was a good ad….wow.

Dean says:

10:19am | 15/12/09

What impact will the Clever Film Comp have on Toyota? - help me find out.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/

Brad says:

10:47am | 15/12/09

The best bit of the Ad is when the girl says at the end ” I’m ready to BLOW”  Get a life ya bunch of moralists, I wish there were many more ads like it.

Micko says:

10:53am | 15/12/09

After reading all the fire and brimstone here I though this add was going to be a shocker.  Instead I found it clever and comparatively mild.  Come on guys this is the naughties, surely we have more important things to be outraged about…and Pembo, the faux outrage is unbecoming.

Melissa says:

11:04am | 15/12/09

I think it’s kinda sad that people are outraged over the ad. Yes, it’s a stupid ad and would never get shown on TV, but whatever happened to the good old Aussie sense of humour? It seems we take everything so seriously these days, and like someone said prior to me, feminism seems to be back in full swing. Since when did we start taking offense at people just having a laugh.
If the ad was on TV i’d probably feel a little different, but it’s only a viral ad, chosen from a competition.
It feels like these days the whole issue of being politically correct has been taken way too far.
People can’t just take things the way they’re intended these days, they’ve got to look for something to be offended about and its really just sad.
Chill out and have a laugh guys, don’t get so wound up, they’re just ads =)

The Dhoodster says:

11:19am | 15/12/09

Hi David,

I cannot believe that everyone is reading way to much into this ad.

It is a hilarious play on wording.

This ad was obviously aimed at the younger generation, ones who do not take offence to anything that is not the norm.

Everyone needs to get off their high horse.  It is not on TV, so you all have nothing to worry about.

SLF says:

11:24am | 15/12/09

This one must have hit to close to the mark. It clearly is a pastiche of the thoughts that run through any fathers mind and most 17yr old blokes minds, the only difference is that they have vocalised internal conversations than never normally get heard by anyone.

It is kind of clever in that way. If people on here honestly dont worry about their kids going on a date or do not think people think that way then they probably need to get out more.

Sure it was all a bit weird, and probably wrong for the Toyota brand, but the externalisation of the things people think but can never say usually is.

The Emancipation says:

03:39pm | 15/12/09

Maybe they’re trying to get Jessica Simpson’s dad to endorse Toyota.  He sounds just as creepy when he talks about his daughter.

Andrew B says:

03:41pm | 15/12/09

TB says:10:47pm | 14/12/09 says ‘...It would appear that writers these days just don’t do subtlety, and what’s worse is that some of the worst offenders are frighteningly successful - Matt Stone and Trey Parker spring instantly to mind (I don’t have a great deal against South Park, but you must admit that you do not have to do a great deal of mental legwork to figure out what they’re on about in each episode).’
I agree, South Park can be very smutty at times, but to use this as a means of attacking an otherwise brilliant show and it creators is missing the bigger picture. The Simpsons earlier episodes aside (todays are trashy and almost as bad as Family Guy), no other show in my opinion has been so able to capture the ridiculousness of society in all its forms.

Like i said in an earlier post, the reason there has been a rapid rise in this pursuit of tasteless and unfunny ‘humour’ can be linked back to the popularity of more recent shows like Family Guy and comedians like Russell Brand (also, Jim Carey, that bloke is not funny!). It still baffles me as to how people find these shows funny. I’ve watched episodes of Family Guy on the encouragement of friends, yet I’m still to crack a laugh. What amazes me even more is how some writers in our main newspapers sing this shows praises (Marieke Hardy springs to mind). In the words of Principal Skinner, “Why, there are no children here at the 4H club, either! Am I so out of touch? No, it’s the children who are wrong.” I’m with you their Skinner!

H of SA says:

03:52pm | 15/12/09

How on earth can a company as smart as Toyota be so dumb? The jury thought the ads were funny? Was the jury entirely composed of 12 year olds? This is one of those freaky events that shows it doesn’t matter how well structured your company is…........its still possible to drop the ball in an incredibly embarrasing and public manner

?? says:

04:55pm | 15/12/09

how the hell did this pass all the relevant departments and get made ???? its sexiest, as well as boring (so is the crappy car)

bloke says:

05:04pm | 15/12/09

boring car boring ad, but you gotta catch the masses with references to below the belt. what type of guy drives a yaris ??? a moron, thats who???

TB says:

05:45pm | 15/12/09

@Andrew B (04:41pm): I agree with your statement that South Park “capture(s) the ridiculousness of society in all its forms,” what I was trying to get at (rather obtusely I admit) was that when Matt Stone and Trey Parker try to make a particular point, they tend to wear that point down to a nice blunt nub and then proceed to beat you over the head with it like a club. It is certainly an effective means of communication, but I personally find that that particular style of writing can be lacking in mental stimulation at times. South Park is entertaining, don’t get me wrong, I just think they could be more thought-provoking if they tweaked their writing a little.

cats says:

07:30pm | 15/12/09

You know what, men who think this is funny need to realise that women do not like being treated like sex objects. The fact that you don’t care how we feel is proof that you believe women are inferior, and is proof that you are sexist. How do you expect us to react to this kind of thing? Yes a lot of people who are against this ad are women, AND IT’S FOR A REASON. WE DON’T LIKE BEING TREATED LIKE THIS. I’m not an old fart, either. I’m a 20 year old woman.

As for the ad, a massive fail. A case of the company not respecting their main demographic (who drive the Yaris) - women aged 18-35. They got it so wrong by trying to target it towards young men. Most of them would never dream of driving a Yaris.

Simon says:

08:45pm | 15/12/09

“UPDATE: Toyota has just pulled the ad.”

Yeah Penbo mate but if its that bad why haven’t you pulled it (the youtube clip above that is).

Ben says:

05:05pm | 16/12/09

I think the guy picking up the girl is hot. Actually would have been more funny if the guy was picking up his boyfriend. What reaction would you get from that? Probably be OK since gay guys would likely drive a Yaris. And think of the innuendo they could of used then. Or then again the gay community would be up in arms.

On a side point I here people kind of using this language and innuendo when out and about (listen to people talking on their phones in trains and trams or to each other) and somehow if it appears in the media then there is outrage.

Do we read into things too much? Can’t help thinking there is a double standard somewhere I can’t put my finger on exactly.

Jimbo says:

09:18am | 17/12/09

I totally agree with the comments above calling for more subtlety in comedy. Even with this ad, a bit of subtely would have made it both more funny and less offensive. On the subject of car ads, if i ever meet the person who thought up the phrase ‘zoom zoom’ to sell cars I will strangle them until they are dead.

Lexus says:

11:08am | 17/10/11

Holy Toledo, so glad I clieckd on this site first!