[veedub89]

I don't see any merit in this thread.
Children are to be placed in the back seat which is exactly where the girl is in the advert. The front airbags are the ones that could cause more damage.

Ford needs to be applauded for their efforts in improving the safety of its customers and not be nitpicked over trivial things.

I don't see any other manufacturer campaigning for their cars on the basis of its safety equipment.

Buckle up and be safe. A one minute advert can only do so much.
Not everything needs to be over-analysed and discussed.

[feluda86]

It is a step in the right direction by Ford. The advert only attempts to convey the message that cars with higher number of airbags are safer for the occupants than cars without/less number of airbags. The fact that they have used a child seated on the rear seat (as deemed safe) and restrained by seat belts, I do not think conveys any different message than intended. What the advert does well is telling the viewers that you need airbags even in the city (the ad shows father picking up daughter from school) and not only on highways (primary reason why people do not buy variants with airbags).

[myavu]

I am also not finding any fault in this ad. In fact the message it conveys is very positive and first of its kind in Indian Auto Industry.

The points I take away from this ad

1. Be in any seat, buckle yourself even before the move
2. Driver should ensure that all passengers are buckled up
3. Little kids should be always seated in the back
4. More airbags means more protection against fatal injuries
5. Car buyers should emphasize more towards safety rather than mere creature comforts like, rain sensing wipers, auto headlights, keyless entry - push start, etc.

Mods: Kindly add a poll to this thread.

Cheers!

[landcruiser123]

TBH, I don't really find anything wrong with the Ad.
The only thing I said to myself when I saw the Ad was that the child should have been on a booster seat.

Ford is making a strong case that they have the best safety features across the range though their model range (for any mass-market model range) and also encouraging people to buy the variants with 6 airbags.

The safety rating of the Mustang tells us a different story though. http://www.euroncap.com/en/results/ford/mustang/26063

[PrasannaDhana]

Like many others here, I dont find any mistake with the ad. Leave aside the impact of airbag deployment on kids, I believe it is safer to face an airbag than being hit by the B pillar/dashboard/windshield head on!

If people opt for variant with more number of airbags, that itself is a good thing, and that ad clearly achieves that objective.

[MorePower]

It's refreshing to see the focus shifting from 'Kitna Deti Hai' to 'How many airbags does your car have'? In a country where cosmetic embellishments like alloy wheels and mileage take precedence over safety, Ford must be commended for bringing airbags and safety into drawing room conversations.

As someone commented earlier, children, the most impressionable of audiences will start asking their parents about how safe their cars are. If that can get people to atleast think about safety and airbags, and perhaps influence their decision to buy a relatively safer car, this ad would've done its job.

Also would like to know from experts if the concern about the curtain airbag injuring the child seated in the backseat is really valid.

[wrongturn]

I think it was discussed in some thread that as per studies a lot of car purchases are influenced by the choices made by children from the model, variant to the selection of color.
Maruti even went on to make kids think that they will attract attention and look pretty if they ride in a Dzire. These are thoughts put in a kids head sub consciously. They have been using children in the Dzire commercial, and I think it has worked.

https://youtu.be/aWm0wNJML4A

Now with the ford ad, the argument kids will have at school is how many airbags are their in your car?
IMHO its a good initiative, atleast people will know about airbags, and if the craze increases maybe the day would come sooner when all cars would be equipped with atleast 2 airbags. Even then kids will be like,
Kid1: Hey my car has 6 airbags, how many in yours?
Kid2: mine has two. (Lets hope he is telling the truth and its not '0')
Kid1: Hahahaha, that's not enough, I am better than you.(and would go on how infinite times his car is better so that makes him better too, somehow)
Kid2 filled with inferiority complex would do a google search for it, would learn more about airbags, which car comes with 6 or more airbags. He will try to persuade his parents to buy a car with maximum possible airbags.
Rest assured next car in his family will have more airbags, well in case of majority of families this will be the story if not all.
Atleast kids will put forth the idea and argument of having more airbags in front of their parents.

[Hot_nut]

Originally Posted by Mohan Mathew A

The airbag in question here is a side curtain airbag and i don't think it poses any serious threat to the child at the time of inflation (maybe if the child is leaning on the door and sleeping).

Maybe it would have been better if the child in the ad was in forward facing child car seat or atleast a booster seat.

But i see nothing wrong in the ad per se and i would any day prefer a car with curtain airbags without one.

I too think there is no issue with the advertisement and it is to high light the curtain air bag of the car and both of the occupants are wearing the seat belt. Yes they should have thought of the booster seat, but is there any age limit for booster seat ?

+1 to Ford for highlighting the six airbags in their ads.

[flywheels]

Originally Posted by VW2010

I think the rear airbag is still safe for the kids. What you are saying is proven true for a front air bag and the main reason why the recommendation is to seat the children in the rear seat.

The ad is pretty clear where the girl is sitting and i personally dont see anything wrong with the ad.

Bang on! A child is safer with airbags around, than one without any! A rider with a helmet is safer than one without! Nothing wrong with the ad, besides the child is positioned on the rear bench and not the front!

[abijithmenon]

Originally Posted by Hot_nut

I too think there is no issue with the advertisement and it is to high light the curtain air bag of the car and both of the occupants are wearing the seat belt. Yes they should have thought of the booster seat, but is there any age limit for booster seat ?

+1 to Ford for highlighting the six airbags in their ads.

In a segment where the cars are only warming up to airbags, ABS etc as standard, I think it commendable to have 6 airbags. In a market where people don't know what a booster seat is, this ad is commendable in many aspects as the kid is strapped in and in the rear seat! It at least a step in the right direction and gives layman viewers an idea that airbags are good for you and your kids.

Apart from TBHP members here, I don't think it would capture the prime time TV viewer's mind share enough to ponder on such intricacies!

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by wrongturn

I think it was discussed in some thread that as per studies a lot of car purchases are influenced by the choices made by children from the model, variant to the selection of color.
Maruti even went on to make kids think that they will attract attention and look pretty if they ride in a Dzire. These are thoughts put in a kids head sub consciously. They have been using children in the Dzire commercial, and I think it has worked.

OMG, there are just pages and pages of things that are wrong with this ad. If this can air on TV (I remember seeing it), the Ford ad should be worshipped by the well read people like us.

I would request the OP to withdraw his complaint about the Ford ad, because none of us want the message of the ad to get lost just because of one (unlikely) mistake on Ford's part.

[Hot_nut]

Originally Posted by abijithmenon

At a segment where the cars are only warming up to airbags, ABS etc as standard, I think it commendable to have 6 airbags. In a market where people don't know what a booster seat is, this ad is commendable in many aspects as the kid is strapped in and in the rear seat! It at least a step in the right direction and gives layman viewers an idea that airbags are good for you and your kids.

Apart from TBHP members here, I don't think it would capture the prime time TV viewer's mind share enough to ponder on such intricacies!

Spot on, many times i am surprised to hear people talk about features such as touch screen, reverse camera , rear a/c , but never talk about the airbags and ABS. When i talk to them about with safety concerns, they give a stern look, that says this guy talks about accident even before buying the car. Love you Ford and Toyota for the safety initiatives!

[fighterace]

There are clear ethical concerns about advertising to children in general. The Maruti ad is clearly reprehensible, Ford's ad questionable. As for airbags, they are the only safety devices which have killed people in perfectly survivable crashes- the case of small children and short women as discussed earlier and the Takata recall that almost everyone knows about. Also, given the tin-can nature of most cars sold in India, including the ones with 5 star safety ratings for export models- an unstable body structure will render any number of airbags as gasbags.

[VinodDevil81]

I think this is just taking things a bit too far.
It is just a short advertisement and needs to be taken only in that way.

Today even school kids may be knowing that these TV ads need to be taken only with a pinch of salt.
All of us know that what they claim in ads is nowhere near the reality.
So then what is so special about this Ford's ad?

Atleast they have not said any lies here.
Nor have they shown the stupidity of featuring the child without seat-belts or on front seats.

In a country where even Child Restraint Systems are still not enforced, and even little kids are free to be placed anywhere inside the car, I think writing to Ford and to the Ministry for a relatively not-so-harmful typical TV commercial is just taking things a bit too far.

The OP could have instead wrote a letter to the Minister citing the necessity of enforcing rear seat-belts nation-wide or making child-seats mandatory for children travelling in cars.

Those are far more important things than just going after a typical TV commercial.

[abijithmenon]

Originally Posted by fighterace

As for airbags, they are the only safety devices which have killed people in perfectly survivable crashes- the case of small children and short women as discussed earlier and the Takata recall that almost everyone knows about. Also, given the tin-can nature of most cars sold in India, including the ones with 5 star safety ratings for export models- an unstable body structure will render any number of airbags as gasbags.

Yes, there are instances about airbags taking lives in certain scenarios, but does it help in the greater percentage of collisions? I don't think we can look aside that it helps for most of the scenarios and I think its a case of "more, the merrier (safer, in this case)". There will always be a "fence eats the crop" delinquency factor as with any other relatable industry or safety product.

Like you fairly pointed out, the focus should not only be on airbags; but the whole package like the body structure to the way the car is even driven. And what determines it comes down to how much the consumers want it in their cars! If adding a feature sells more cars; it shall become standard and the new norm. To give you an example, my final year engineering project was on a safety device to prevent vehicular heatstroke and cabin asphyxiation inside passenger cars. In North America, around 50 kids and pets die every year because of this situation wherein careless parents leave/forget their kids in parked cars. We were well applauded, talked to a few manufacturers, even got featured in an international symposium and were selected by ARAI. But in the end, there was no future for it as the "number of fatalities" were too damn low! Only 3 such casualties were reported in India over the last 2 years. It's a simple case that a problem needs enough attention for the solution to be mainstream. We see that Volkswagen has taken a lead in pitching to be the safest car in the segment with many initiatives. Gotta see if it contributes in increasing market share as well!

Originally Posted by VinodDevil81

I think this is just taking things a bit too far.
It is just a short advertisement and needs to be taken only in that way.

Today even school kids may be knowing that these TV ads need to be taken only with a pinch of salt.
All of us know that what they claim in ads is nowhere near the reality.
So then what is so special about this Ford's ad?

Atleast they have not said any lies here.
Nor have they shown the stupidity of featuring the child without seat-belts or on front seats.

In a country where even Child Restraint Systems are still not enforced, and even little kids are free to be placed anywhere inside the car, I think writing to Ford and to the Ministry for a relatively not-so-harmful typical TV commercial is just taking things a bit too far.

The OP could have instead wrote a letter to the Minister citing the necessity of enforcing rear seat-belts nation-wide or making child-seats mandatory for children travelling in cars.

Those are far more important things than just going after a typical TV commercial.

You just summed up the entire thread in a post for me.