So Easy, A Woman Can Do It!

During a commercial break of Sportscenter, an ESPN show, one commercial in particular really stood out to me. The lengthy version of it is below, though the only part shown was really the beginning.

That's right. A woman was using the lawnmower. Although this may come across as a little ridiculous, I inferred some deeper marketing meanings. I have never seen a commercial featuring a woman using a lawnmower; men were always the feature. Mowing the lawn is normally a job done by a man, which is why the commercial means a whole lot.

I am often intimidated by the commercials advertising lawnmowers. They seem somewhat confusing to operate, especially with the ease the men featured mow lawns with. In this commercial though, a woman was mowing the lawn with ease.

This casting choice by Cub Cadet definitely taps into men across the country. I believe Cub Cadet made a conscious decision to slip in the message: "Shouldn't everything a woman be able to do, a man do too? If you think so, then this lawnmower, which is easy to use because even a woman can do it, is perfect for you." Now although it may not be as explicit and harsh as what I stated, I know this was a subliminal message.

In American society, men are so often the breadwinners and the macho type. Showing off something a man normally does with a woman doing it should subconsciously prod at men, which is exactly what I thought Cub Cadet was trying to do within this seemingly innocent commercial.