Sex sells: suggestive Nissan commercial axed in New Zealand
The actress who put the "sex" in HBO's Sex and the City TV series, Kim Cattrall, is currently starring in a series of three Australian-produced TV commercials for Nissan's new Tiida (North America's Versa) in which the unremarkable little car becomes something of a sex symbol.
Well, apparently the diminutive Nissan is just a bit too racy for New Zealand TV - the carmaker has pulled one of the ads from Kiwi airwaves after a number of viewer complaints. We haven't found a clip of the offending spot, but we've got the next best thing - another ad in the series (above), which we're sure will give you the idea.
Here's the dialog from the too-hot-for-New-Zealand ad:
Cattrall (talking to a salesman): "Ah! That was amazing. Absolutely fabulous! I mean the great body and the way you moved it. Why didn't you tell me it was so big? I just wasn't prepared for it. You know what? I think I'm ready to go again." (Moves to car in showroom window) "Coming?"
[Sources: USAToday, Duncan's TV]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Gale @ Jul 21st 2006 8:35PM
Nice job of "objective" reporting, Stewie.
Unremarkable= 122 hp, vs 110 and 108 for Honda and Toyota.
Unremarkable= far more interior space than either Honda or Toyota.
Unremarkable= Superior interior quality vs. Honda or Toyota.
Add to that available CVT, six speed manual, keyless entry, bluetooth and a Rockford Fosgate sound system.
Sounds remarkable to me, but then I don't get taken out to dinner by PR wonks like Stuart does. LOL Maybe the Nissan team needs to work harder on him.
danny @ Jul 21st 2006 9:31PM
These ads were pulled from Australian TV because they weren't effective at actually advertising the car at all. I think they're making new ones currently, that actually are about the car and not some woman no one cares about.
taipeileviathan @ Jul 21st 2006 9:53PM
whoa... take a chill pill dude.
Luis Longo @ Jul 21st 2006 10:18PM
Raise your hand anr repeat>
Im not stupid, and i wont buy a car, just cause its advertise by a hot girl, i wont buy that condo that i dont need/cant affor to pay, just cause i have a crush on the hot girl thats selling it.
Is there actually one costumer that can be persuade to buy a Nissan just because of her?
Nissan, save your money, dont make silly ads.
me @ Jul 21st 2006 11:02PM
The ads were probably pulled because they were incredibly lame and a joke.
Plus in Australia and NZ, the Tiida is supposed to compete with Focus, Mazda3, Corolla, Golf, Civic etc, not the smaller cars like the Yaris and Jazz/Fit.
and it fails miserably because it is easily one of the most unattracitve cars Nissan has produced and the worst in class. Plus rear drum brakes and lap only centre belt
Rob Lowe @ Jul 21st 2006 11:38PM
I think the complaints came from Colin Powell's son the former head of the FCC whose still in therapy trying to recover from a 3 nanosecond exposure to Janet Jackson's left nipple. Repression and stupidity everywhere.....it's the Bush Dark Ages
Bill @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:15AM
Ok, I'm going out on a limb here.
A lot of people still can't deal with certain portrayals of female sexuality. "SATC" is probably on network TV in NZ, and if you've ever seen the program you know that Samantha gets what she wants. To some people, this makes the character a slut. (I on the other hand admire this quality in her).
Tons of TV commercials play on the so-called "masculinity" of different vehicles. I just saw some Hummer ad the other day where some guy rescues his misplaced masculinity by buying a Hummer. Ads always play on mens fears. SUV ads always assume that any dad (or mom) that drives a minivan is somehow "inadequate".
Sex sells cars, and has for a long time. Car purchases by men often have sexual statements, whether they are Trans Ams, SUV's, old men in Corvettes having mid-life crisis.
Put a half naked lady in a car, and gear the ad towards male buyers, and nobody blinks an eye. Put a lady in a Nissan and show lots of innuendo about her getting cheap thrills from a car, and this is threatening.
Get over it.
BOB @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:55AM
I gotta presume Sex In the City (and Dallas) played in NZ -- so everyone has seen Kim and humps before. I like Kim, but it was not a great commercial, because it said nothing at all about the car to differentiate it.
Mark @ Jul 22nd 2006 2:40AM
Anyone who think this isn't good advertising needs to take (or re-take) Marketing 101. The best advertising causes controversy without crossing sensitive lines (race, religion, etc.). They get great exposure through media, and are then replayed over, and over on news broadcasts or on the internet, because now everyone needs to know what the ad is like. Job well done for Nissan's PR department in Australia/NZ.
Clinton @ Jul 22nd 2006 3:33AM
Bascily the ad had no cut through did not deliver awareness and essentially sales went no where for Nissan with this ad.
Yes it is being re-shit, yes it will be re-positioned (sorry about that Sam!) and by the way this has nothing to do with the representation of women in consumerism - it just did not sell cars end of story.
To be honest the fact that it was pulled in NZ gave Nissan some desperatley needed PR time and actually got the Tiida brand in front of it's audience instead of thinking it was a promo for Sex in the City.
Finished.Law.School @ Jul 22nd 2006 4:05AM
Why is this an issue? She is not attractive at all...
Nudge @ Jul 22nd 2006 6:29AM
I think Mark had better retake Marketing 101 the purpose of an ad is to sell the product.
This ad (or maybe it is because the car looks silly IMHO) has resulted in sales. Nissan Australia has changed the ads and cut the price to get sales going.
If the ad is controversial and sells the product fine but controversy by itself is useless.
RacetrackOwner @ Jul 22nd 2006 7:12AM
I know some people from NZ, and they really are incredibly repressive when it comes to sex. In fact, the government censors are actually given vacations each year that are several months long, the intent being that this time allows the censors to sort of purify and heal the mental damage supposedly caused by all the horrible, unaccpetable content they see in their line of work.
Pretty bizarre.
AnonymousInsights @ Jul 22nd 2006 7:50AM
The more relevant question is: Who'd do 'er?
DirkDundenburg @ Jul 22nd 2006 9:01AM
Face it, most advertising that is geared toward men boils down to one thing - Buy our product, get laid.
As for Samantha's character in SATC, she's everything I admire in a woman, confidence, independance and a great understanding of her sexuality. Men who fear or despise her have some deep seated inadaquacies. That being said, I feel that her "talent's" would be better served in a far sexier vehicle then a Nissan Versa. I have no idea about the prudeness of Kiwi's, but I could see it being well received by the Brits or Mainland Europe. The USA on the other hand, would probably implode.
Mal Fuller @ Jul 22nd 2006 10:45AM
Shocking!
Ryan @ Jul 22nd 2006 11:43AM
"I just saw some Hummer ad the other day where some guy rescues his misplaced masculinity by buying a Hummer."
LOL, did you ever see that episode of Sex and the City when Samantha goes up to her apartment and is confronted with a "hot" neighbor that drives a hummer.
Anyway they get to talking and at the end she goes. "MMM, I just love a great HUMMER" it's great! That line would have been great for her to do a Hummer spot.
Tom Design @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:39PM
Bill => Kudos to your astute comments. Women can't enjoy sex or their cars as sexual things. Men can enjoy naked chicks draped all over a car.
danny and FinishedLawSchool => you are even weirder than any of us thought. now kim cantrell isn't a sexy woman, after being the sexiest woman on t.v. for four years. i immediately accept the opposite of whatever your opinion might be.
John B @ Jul 22nd 2006 12:55PM
If this was too risque for New Zealand, I wonder what they would have thought of the Canadian website for the Mini last winter. That's where the black leather clad lady with a whip showed you the features of the Mini.
jamie @ Jul 22nd 2006 1:22PM
Pretty tame ad I thought.
Doesn't even come close to Paris Hilton teaming up with Carl's Jr. I thought Italian tv was too racey until I saw this hottie.
http://videobomb.com/posts/show/1185