It’s currently Women’s History Month, and in honor of this month, Ford has done something almost unthinkable. They have released an ad introducing a brand new vehicle that they’re marketing as a “men’s only edition.”
In the ad, Ford shows a black Ford Explorer SUV. The voiceover explains, “For the first time ever, we’ve completely reimagined the automobile.” So far, nothing looks different from the outside, but then the voiceover guy explains what’s different.
Here’s where it gets controversial. This SUV is called the “men’s only Ford Explorer.” Um, what? That sounds completely politically incorrect, and at this point in the ad, we’re left wondering if this is a joke, but they seem completely serious about it.
Then the ad continues with the voiceover guy telling us what sets this Ford Explorer apart and makes it a men’s only edition. It turns out, that instead of adding features to the SUV that might somehow make it more ideal for men than women (we can’t think of an example of what that would be), they list several features they have removed from the vehicle.
At first, the features that don’t exist on this “men’s only edition” seem surprising but perhaps maybe appealing to a macho type guy who doesn’t want a lot of extra features. For example, there aren’t any windshield wipers, and there isn’t a heater. We’re not finding this too appealing.
Even the voiceover guy sounds skeptical about who would actually want to buy this SUV. At one point he asks, “No GPS, are you kidding?”
Watch the full ad for the “men’s only Ford Explorer” below to find out the full list of features that are missing from this SUV. Be sure to watch to the very end to find out exactly why these features are missing (hint: it has to do with women).
No, there isn’t really a “men’s only” edition. Instead, this ad was designed to highlight the important contributions women have made to the Ford company and to the vehicles many of us drive everyday.
What do you think of Ford’s “men’s only” SUV ad? Did you know so many women were responsible for creating the features we consider essential in our vehicles today?
