Online marketing journal Advertising Age just released their Top 10 Most Watched Videos and awarded Dodge the #1 spot for its spot featuring Tinkerbelle and the Caliber. The video shows a pixie flying around town transforming things into more magical versions of themselves by sprinkling fairy dust all over everything, until the fairy gets to the Dodge Charger whose masculinity is so impervious that the fairy's magic is ineffective.
The ad caused a lot of controversy for its ending which was berated as nothing but "a homophobic slur masquerading as a commercial". DaimlerChrysler took a lot of heat for it, but then they probably knew that'd happen when the ad was approved. Which only goes to reinforce the old adage, "there's no such thing as bad press".
The Dodge "Pixie" ad was the only automotive commercial that made it into the top ten.
[Source: AdAge]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
CJ @ Dec 18th 2006 11:32AM
you mean the Dodge Caliber right?
Bob @ Dec 18th 2006 11:44AM
A stupid ad aimed at the stupid people who would buy this thing. Mission accomplished.
curtis @ Dec 18th 2006 11:48AM
I'm definately not a Dodge fan, but this commercial is great, I like it. I'm not a domestic fan actually, I'm partial to Ford, I admire them, because they are 'the first'. However I am a mustang fan.
mr @ Dec 18th 2006 12:01PM
"A stupid ad aimed at the stupid people who would buy this thing."
DCX's Dodge ads seem to be aimed exclusively at hypermacho jerks.
The Caliber ad is offensive - not because it's homophobic (which it is), but because it cheaply draws the viewer's masculinity into question.
DCX: We get it. We're "fairies" if we don't buy Calibers, and we'll never impress the rednecks at the drive-thru if we don't own a Ram. Yes, now we know that a Nitro will make an Acclaim explode. Please get over it and move on.
kab @ Dec 18th 2006 12:18PM
If most watched = most annoying repeated as many times as possible, or, most fast-forwarded through on our TIVO setups, then sure.
And who exactly is uptight enough to get offended at this ad? Methinks you're far too sensitive, or have too much time on your hands.
Braden @ Dec 18th 2006 12:39PM
-- DCX: We get it. We're "fairies" if we don't buy Calibers, and we'll never impress the rednecks at the drive-thru if we don't own a Ram. --
I think you've missed the point entirely. What *IS* Tinkerbell? A FAIRY. She's "silly" for trying to convert the car into something magical and childish when it can't be converted.
I don't think she makes the guy gay - I think she changes the jerk into a preppie (hence the pink/light yellow and stupid tied up sweater and the little dogs) which is something no "manly masculine" guy wants to be.
All of the gays getting all flamed up (excuse the pun) about this ad are reading too much into the commercial.
I for one think it is hilarious the way the guy SAYS "silly little fairy," and then the weird "ohhhh" noise he makes after he is "dusted" is even better. I sit through the whole commercial just to listen to the end. Oh, the splat it makes when the fairy hits the wall is good too.
davidl340 @ Dec 18th 2006 1:11PM
I had to watch the ad again to make sure you guys were talking about the same comercial I saw.
If you get offended over this, then you are hyper-sensitive. It is a preppy/wussy looking guy, the people that are getting offended are the ones saying he is gay, therefore they should get mad at themselves for having a stereo type of gays being wussy.
I still don't like the commercial, but not due to any hyper-sensitive making fun of gay issues.
zahn @ Dec 18th 2006 1:12PM
'fairy gets to the Dodge Charger'... oh does she?
SOhp101 @ Dec 18th 2006 1:38PM
Anyone that thinks that the fairy turns the guy into a gay man has his own stereotypes that he needs to deal with.
There are plenty of gay men that don't dress the way the man is depicted.
felonious monk @ Dec 18th 2006 2:24PM
And the irony of it all is that the ad agency got fired (despite over 70 years of history with Dodge) for creating this "#1 watched" spot.
LaughingTooHard @ Dec 18th 2006 2:34PM
This is just another thing the rest of world get to laugh at us about. How we can be so free and wish the world to follow our twisted example? Oh yes, there are SOME things are just not funny, when looked at from an extreme point of view.
First - The idea of the "Fairy" existed long before the GBLT community had a voice.
Second - Yes they in legend supposed to bring beauty and harmony to the world.
Third - You can put a pig in a dress but it is still a pig. You can't pretty up a Nitro. Point made - point taken.
This has NOTHING to do with Gay. If it was Jewish modern day reference, it would have gone the same way - Banned.
Good Job America - Now you can't talk about the Gays, Jews - what's next? Disagreeing with the Executive Branch? Wait, that is gone too.
When making fun, or humor - there are no limits. Abuse is different from humor and there was nothing abusive in there.
Dolts.
Secret Squirrel @ Dec 18th 2006 2:41PM
C'mon, that's not necissarily a "gay" guy! He's not even wearing "salmon" aka:pink. That seems more like a smug tennis playing ivy leaguer from stereotyped 80s movies and TV. I bet his name is now Chip, or Biff and dates a girl named "Muffy" and calls her Lambykins or Snookums to get her into a compromising position where nerds infiltrate said ivy league school and save the day...
MosquitoControl @ Dec 18th 2006 3:16PM
Maybe it's because I had the sound off, but I saw nothing even insinuating homosexuality here.
If you disagree... I'd question your homophobia level. It's got to be pretty high if every instance of a fairy you see makes you think "gay."
Do you think Walt Disney was a homophobe for putting Tinker Bell in Peter Pan?
Mike @ Dec 18th 2006 5:05PM
I just hate how they make the Caliber sound like it has a V8 under the hood, they do the same thing with Nitro. I agree with most people, your silly if you get offended by this commercial. Oh yea I hate that fuzzy wuzzy commercial too, Dodge makes the dumbest commercials.
Bob @ Dec 18th 2006 6:01PM
Homophobic slur masquerading as a commerical? For the love of common sense people, get a grip, stow the politically correct, overly sensitive crap and repeat after me:
It's a car commercial. It is funny. My lifestyle choice are not under attack by anyone at Chrysler.
For crying out loud...
Bob @ Dec 18th 2006 6:11PM
Homophobic slur masquerading as a commerical? For the love of common sense people, get a grip, stow the politically correct, overly sensitive crap and repeat after me:
It's a car commercial. It is funny. My lifestyle choice are not under attack by anyone at Chrysler.
For crying out loud...
jg @ Dec 18th 2006 7:47PM
Best commercial of the year is the ad where the guy can't find China on a map then rips the map off the wall pretending to fall.
JR @ Dec 18th 2006 10:11PM
It is a DODGE CALIBER, NOT A DODGE CHARGER. That was a typo in the article !!!!
Bob @ Dec 19th 2006 2:38AM
Honestly, people. You're trying to say that the guy saying "silly little fairy" makes the fairy turn him into a "preppie"? No. They're implying she turned him into a fairy. Which says that's what a gay guy looks like. It's a stupid, pointless commercial, and you're damn right it can be found offensive.
BOB @ Dec 19th 2006 4:16PM
________________________________________________
A-- IT IS FUNNY, LIKE A BEER COMMERCIAL DURING FOOTBALL
________________________________________________
B-- NO DOUBT, IT IS NOT A GAY SLUR, BUT HURTFULLY REMINDS OF THE REAL SLURS. IT WOULD BE GONE IF IT OFFENDED JEWS OR BLACKS IN THE SAME WAY
-- EVERY GROUP BUT GAYS IS ALLOWED TO HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR WHEN TOUCHY SUBJECTS ARE RAISED.
_________________________________________________
C-- TOTALLY AGREE THAT THE GUY AT THE END LOOKS FRUITY AND PREPPY.
MOST OF THOSE GUYS ARE MARRIED -- SOME EVEN LEAD LARGE EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONS AND WORK TO CURTAIL GAY RIGHTS, BEFORE LAYING ON THEIR STOMACHS FOR MALE MASSEURS.