Audi Defends Its Super Bowl Ad About Equal Pay After It Quickly Becomes a Flashpoint

Audi was looking to spark a reaction with "Daughter," its politically minded Super Bowl spot advocating equal pay for women, and it undoubtedly got one. But along with a lot of positive reactions, the automaker is also dealing with a deluge of negative comments about the ad in social media—with many viewers pointing out that Audi's 14-member U.S. executive team consists of 12 men and two women. The 60-second spot, posted Wednesday to YouTube and Facebook and closing in on 5 million views as of noon Friday, has a remarkably high ratio of negative sentiment—almost 40,000 dislikes to just 4,000 likes. There are two separate criticisms—one, that the ad is simply leftist propaganda; and two, that it is hypocritical because of the company's heavily male leadership team. (Audi AG's board of directors, too, has six men and no women.) [kickout id="1"] "EITHER Audi practices gender discrimination, or the most qualified people happened to be male more than 85% of the time and the 'gender wage gap' is nonsense. Which is it, Audi?" one commenter wrote on YouTube. [kickout id="5"] Others praised the ad, created by Venables Bell & Partners—either unreservedly or because they felt it sends a good message regardless of Audi's progress on the issue internally. The spot has also received support from other brands, with Keds and even auto rival Buick tweeting about it. [kickout id="2"] [kickout id="3"] [kickout id="6"] [kickout id="4"] Citing data from Networked Insights, the Wall Street Journal reported that 25 percent of the comments about the ad on social platforms have been negative, 13 percent have been positive, and the rest have been neutral. Loren Angelo, vp of marketing Audi of America, told Adweek on Friday that the automaker was expected a strong reaction and remains committed to the ad and it message. "We knew this would spark a conversation, especially on a stage as large as Super Bowl, and we remain up for the challenge," he said. "Pay equality has been a part of the public conversation for some time now and we believe the message deserves a platform." It was perhaps inevitable that Audi's advertising message would prompt scrutiny of its own practices when it comes to equal pay. Adweek asked the brand about it on Wednesday, before the criticism gathered steam. "There is a lot that goes into calculating pay—individual performance, experience or tenure in the job, etc. But we are confident in our processes for evaluating pay equality and can confirm equal pay for equal work between men and women," Angelo told Adweek at the time. That somewhat convoluted answer, even as it asserts a real commitment to the cause, has not done much to assuage critics. To its credit, Audi is responding directly to dozens of comments, positive and negative, across its social footprint. Audi has been pointing people here for more information about its efforts in equal pay. Creative credits for the "Daughter" spot are below. CREDITS Client Name: Audi Of America Agency: Venables Bell & Partners Founder, Chairman: Paul Venables Executive Creative Director: Will Mcginness Creative Director: Justin Moore Associate Creative Director: Allison Hayes Copywriter: Mike Mcguire Copywriter: Kathy Hepinstall Director Of Integrated Production: Craig Allen Senior Producer: Matt Flaker Head Of Brand Management: David Corns Group Brand Director: Chris Bergen Brand Supervisor: Justin Wang Brand Manager: Abu Ngauja Group Strategy Director: Tonia Lowe Director Of Business Affairs: Quynh-Ahn Phan Project Manager: Leah Murphy Production Company: Somesuch + Anonymous Content Director: Aoife McArdle Executive Producers: Nicky Barnes, Sally Campbell Ep / Production: Sueellen Clair Head Of Production: Kerry Haynie Producer: Grace Bodie Editing Company: Work Editorial Editor: Stewart Reeves Assistant Editor: Josh Sasson, Erik Vogt-Nilsen Executuive Producer: Marlo Baird Producer: Lynne Mannino Music Company: Human Music Composer: John Christopher Barnes Creative Director: Craig Deleon Executive Producer: Jonathan Sanford Sound Design/Final Mix: Lime Studios Sound Designer: Matt Miller Mix: Matt Miller Assistant Mixer: Peter Lapinski Executive Producer: Susie Boyajan Associate Producer: Kayla Phungglan VFX Studio: Electric Theatre Collective Creative Director: Adam Watson VFX Supervisor: Adam Watson 2D Artists: Adam Watson, Tommy Smith, Dave Damant, Jessenia Nauta CG Lead: Corinne Deorsay CG Artists: Corinne Deorsay, Nate Lapinski, Remi Dessinges, Steve Beck EP: Kate Hitchings VFX Producer: Catherine Yi Color Correction: Company 3 Colorist: Stefan Sonnenfeld Senior Producer: Katie Andrews

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Audi Defends Its Super Bowl Ad About Equal Pay After It Quickly Becomes a Flashpoint

'Daughter' gets strong support as well as a lot of criticism

Tim Nudd

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Tim Nudd