You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, at no cost, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!
Hi there,
Just had to get this out -
I just watched the first episode of Hammer and Coop (I'm a little behind - I know it's been out for a while), and I am SO offended by the car wash scene that I feel almost sick to my stomach.
I understand that they're trying to market to 'young' american guys, but is making this commercial soft-core pornography necessary?? I am a 27-year old woman, and I've been waiting excitedly for my mini to come in (it's due here in about 2 weeks), and today I went to the miniusa site and followed the links over to hammer and coop, and I feel like I've been punched in the stomach.
Since I'm not a guy who reads Maxim and Stuff (where I understand they've advertised this trash), should I not buy the car? Is that what they're telling me??
Treating women like objects or trash in your commercials is NOT a smart marketing strategy - it's just plain OFFENSIVE, and very disappointing.
I'm wondering if I should cancel my order on my car now. I don't want to give thousands and thousands of dollars to a company that thinks THIS about my gender.
You're missing the entire point of the H&C series...it's a parody of kitschy, 70s-era movies & TV shows.
Listen to whatever your little voices are telling you...if you don't, they'll never stop talking!
Quote:
Originally Posted by nnasirhc
Hi there,
Just had to get this out -
I just watched the first episode of Hammer and Coop (I'm a little behind - I know it's been out for a while), and I am SO offended by the car wash scene that I feel almost sick to my stomach.
I understand that they're trying to market to 'young' american guys, but is making this commercial soft-core pornography necessary?? I am a 27-year old woman, and I've been waiting excitedly for my mini to come in (it's due here in about 2 weeks), and today I went to the miniusa site and followed the links over to hammer and coop, and I feel like I've been punched in the stomach.
Since I'm not a guy who reads Maxim and Stuff (where I understand they've advertised this trash), should I not buy the car? Is that what they're telling me??
Treating women like objects or trash in your commercials is NOT a smart marketing strategy - it's just plain OFFENSIVE, and very disappointing.
I'm wondering if I should cancel my order on my car now. I don't to give thousands and thousands of dollars to a company that thinks THIS about my gender.
__________________
Became a proud 1st time MINI owner on 01/13/07!!!
'06 HB/W, #1, #2, #3, #4 (Prod. date: 10/20/06)
I have similar feelings about it, though I was more disappointed than anything, that MINI would stoop to the same level as other muscle and sports cars. Up to this point, MINI has been about motoring, you-ification, and sharing your enthusiasm with your friends and family. I hate to see MINI advertising go in the "sex sells" direction, when that is SO OPPOSITE of the MINI culture I know in real life. My local MINI club, this forum, and events like MOTD and AMVIV are about the wonderful MINI community, a place that welcomes and embraces people of all ages, colors, nationalities, religions, political parties, genders, etc. Women, be they young and hot or otherwise, are respected. MINI should be proud of that. I am.
FWIW, I do get the point of the advertising parody. On the other hand, at the track day at AMVIV, there were bikini girls walking around, and it made me feel the exact same way. This isn't the MINI culture I know!
__________________ His: '03 PS/PS DinanSBam Bam * * * Mine: '05 JB/JB MCSa Malibu Stacy See my photos!
"It's not a thread, it's a lifestyle." - Eric_Rowland
Last edited by batgirlwildcat; 04-05-2007 at 12:38 PM.
I'm a male in my 30's and I hear ya. I wanted to show all the episodes to my 6 year old nephew but I can't. Thank goodness he didn't ask me why I didn't show him the first episode.
I was at a launch party at a local dealership where they were showing the first episode on a big flat screen. I saw a couple of pre-teen boys just glued to the screen while their parents were just checking out the brand new 2007 models. At the time only the first episode was released and I guess they just put the DVD player or whatever on repeat so it was playing over and over again. I checked back and the boys were still glued to the screen
I guess everyone is sensitive to different subjects, but between Hammer getting pummeled in the opening scene (complete with blood dripping out of his mouth), doing a "Knight Rider" 180-degree turn in a cramped alleyway, and then doing a tire-smoking handbrake slide into busy city street traffic, I would have found the carwash scene the *least* offensive, if I were particularly bothered by any of the episode (which I wasn't).
And referring to the carwash scene as "pornography" (even softcore) is a bit of an exaggeration, IMHO.
Honestly, you guys should email the ad agency and Mini and tell them what you think (I think the agency is Butler Shine and Stern but check) - they really should know how people feel about it.
Treating women like objects or trash in your commercials is NOT a smart marketing strategy - it's just plain OFFENSIVE, and very disappointing.
Hi - I agree with everything you said except this statement. If it offended you enough, then no, you shouldn't buy the car; that's your right as a consumer, but it's their right to advertise however they wish, sexist or not. I'd love to say we've come far enough as a society to not use sex for gain, or to not subordinate "other" populations, but we're not there yet. The bottom line is that it IS smart marketing - it's so accepted by most of society that it's insidious to most women and engaging to most men. It puts the MINI in a certain light/image that is positive to a young male (like myself); no, it doesn't make a person run out and buy the car, but it does get the intended point across: this is an attractive car, attractive people drive it, and attractive people surround, touch, fawn over it. Ohhhhhh don't you want one now?
I have similar feelings about it, though I was more disappointed than anything, that MINI would stoop to the same level as other muscle and sports cars. Up to this point, MINI has been about motoring, you-ification, and sharing your enthusiasm with your friends and family. I hate to see MINI advertising go in the "sex sells" direction, when that is SO OPPOSITE of the MINI culture I know in real life. My local MINI club, this forum, and events like MOTD and AMVIV are about the wonderful MINI community, a place that welcomes and embraces people of all ages, colors, nationalities, religions, political parties, genders, etc. Women, be they young and hot or otherwise, are respected. MINI should be proud of that. I am.
FWIW, I do get the point of the advertising parody. On the other hand, at the track day at AMVIV, there were bikini girls walking around, and it made me feel the exact same way. This isn't the MINI culture I know!
My Wife and I thought they were hilarious. Can't say I blame the teenage boys for being transfixed to the screen. If I was a teenage boy again, I certainly would be! LOL!
Great parodies for sure. Just over the top goodness.
__________________ Meet Romi!: Ordered: March 10, 2007: Arrival date: May 16, 2007 In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.
I can see your point and I agree...it was a bit over the top. That said, a good bit of MINI advertising tends to be over-the-top in other ways, too, so it did not shock me as it might have otherwise. I guess they needed to establish Hammer as a lady's man or something and that was a quick (and slightly silly) way to do it. I can understand being offended by it, though.
FWIW, I do get the point of the advertising parody. On the other hand, at the track day at AMVIV, there were bikini girls walking around, and it made me feel the exact same way.
This is what I meant. The problem is I guess just that I *was* someone who was so excited about this car and had nothing but good feelings about it, and had had nothing but great experiences (with my dealership, etc).
But after seeing the ad, I felt like this wasn't my kind of car - or company - you know?
I do know that sex sells, and you're right - it probably is very smart to use sex as a marketing strategy - but I think there are ways they could have used that idea without going so far. I mean, how far is this from the Paris Hilton burger commercial that got banned?...
I love the mini! I don't want it to go in this direction! Maybe that's what the root is...
Neither my Wife nor I can understand why anyone would be offended by these ads. The things that offend us are made by Quentin Terrortino(sp?).
I respect the fact that everyone has thier own set of values, and I would never try to assert ny values as being any better than someone else's.
Overall I call this pretty mild and very humorous.
__________________ Meet Romi!: Ordered: March 10, 2007: Arrival date: May 16, 2007 In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.
I thought it was funny, its just making fun of those cheesy old shows. at least its not like that Carls Jr. ad with Paris Hilton, that was just in bad taste
Neither my Wife nor I can understand why anyone would be offended by these ads. The things that offend us are made by Quentin Terrortino(sp?).
That was was the point I was driving at. I haven't seen any complaints about the episode's violence, irresponsible driving, or even Hammer's gratuitous shirtless scene in the opening credits, but the bikini car wash sure struck a nerve with some people.
As a society, Americans seem to have much more tolerance for graphic depictions of violence than we do for even mild displays of sexuality, and I've always found it puzzling.
Hammer & Cooper was a spoof.... It's not like, say, a beer commercial that puts the bikini women in there to actually sell their product. These clips are poking fun at the 70s machismo that Hammer is playing off of. (I guess some people missed the point...)
With that aside, have you ever seen a soap opera? Or maybe seen a Victoria's Secret commercial on TV? I'd say those are much more graphic than Hammer & Coop. Not to mention soap operas have the whole "adult situation" and dialogue to go along with it.
And I agree with riquiscott.... To call it "soft-core pornography" is quite an exaggeration. Flip to Cinemax at night and you can compare Hammer & Coop to what you see. ;-)
__________________
2006 MINI Cooper S (GP Poseur) -- Dark Silver, silver slicktop, black aero grill, Chili Red mirror caps
ALTA 15% Reduction Supercharger Pulley, R-Speed Exhaust, DIY Intake w/ K&N Cone Filter, JCW Injectors, JCW Software, NGK Spark Plugs, H&R Sport Springs, 18" Enkei RPM2 Hyper Black Wheels w/ Pirelli P-Zero Nero Tires, m7 Tuning Front Strut Brace & Reinforcement Plates, ALTA 19mm Rear Sway Bar
What I found amusing about this scene is that it brought up the memories of my daughters high school pom poms fund raising cars washes. Wet shirts, short shorts and plenty of men pulling in to get their vehicles washed.
So, does advertising carry over to real life or does real life carry over to advertising?
Seriously, if you're that offended, let the powers that be know. Change doesn't take place overnight.
What a socitey we live in. It's ok to see murder and mayhem on TV but a scantily clad woman has everyone up in arms.
See the marketing for way it really is, a kitchsy parody of 70's culture and move on. If that advertising offends you that much NAM will drive you bonkers. Better run away and bury your head in the sand now.
If you are offended by my having an opinion and expressing it, to bad.
Well, hopefully the ad agency simply listens passively to the complaints and continues onward. I mean, if everything were to end that offended anyone in anyway,...well, there would be no consumer products available, of any kind. There would be no movies. There would be no television. There would be no lawyers,..hmmm....nah,..not worth it. There would be no cars, or vehicles of any kind.
Maybe some are too young to understand the parody being pulled off here. Most of that was from the 70's. It seems all the old farts (like myself) all get it. It's the youngsters who are having trouble with it.
__________________ Meet Romi!: Ordered: March 10, 2007: Arrival date: May 16, 2007 In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is.
At the time only the first episode was released and I guess they just put the DVD player or whatever on repeat so it was playing over and over again. I checked back and the boys were still glued to the screen 
BlooMeeni - 2004 Mini Copper, Auto A/C, HK Stereo, Leather, 5sp.
Brocaire: R56 MC Motoring since 28/04/07
