To celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Ford Motor Company created a video for a Ford Explorer Men’s Only Edition. This reimagined version of the classic car advertisement highlights a fictional Ford Explorer that does not have many of the features that every modern car can and should have, such as heaters, windshield wipers, turn signals, brake lights and GPS.
The catch? Women developed the technology for each of these essentials.
The satirical 50-second spot explains that the company has reimagined the automobile. However, rather than highlighting enticing features, it lists options that are not included. The video has more than 544,000 views to date.
“Women have been a part of the production, engineering, and design of the automobile from the start,” Ford Motor Company wrote in the caption. “It’s time to let people know about it.”
To mark the occasion, Ford is also highlighting the achievements of female engineers and innovators throughout the month on the web page for the Explorer Men’s Only Edition and its social media accounts.
The site features inventors and scientists such as Hedy Lamarr, a film star during Hollywood’s Golden Age who also developed a secret communication system that laid the groundwork for Wi-Fi and cellular technology, and Gladys West, a “hidden figure” who was instrumental in developing the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Women make up the majority of car buyers and have an influence on car-buying decisions. However, 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that only 22% of employees in leadership positions within the transportation, storage and distribution sectors are women. And when it comes to the automotive industry, the numbers are only slightly better, with 27.1% women.
The company says the “men’s only” Explorer campaign is part of Ford’s mission to empower, support and celebrate female engineers, designers and innovators and open up conversations about gender equality in a male-dominated industry. Ford hopes this campaign will inspire more women to pursue a career in engineering and recognize the invaluable contributions of female engineers already working within the automotive industry.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
