The War on Cars

BONUS: Super Bowl Extra

Added 2024-02-15 11:01:02 +0000 UTC

Hello, friends of The War on Cars!

As promised, here's a quick Patreon bonus episode in which we continue the Super Bowl conversation we began on episode 120. If you haven't heard that one, go back and take a listen!

In this bonus, we discuss two ads. One is a bit old but recently resurfaced and made the rounds on social media. It's an ad from the Dutch brewing company Amstel, and it's the perfect antidote to the excess of the typical U.S. car commercial. Seriously, after subjecting ourselves to the sensory overload that is the Super Bowl broadcast we needed to ease our way back into this discussion and this ad made us all smile. It shows the world the way it could be... and is, at least in one tiny nation.

The other ad we discuss didn't air during the Super Bowl, but was in heavy rotation during NFL postseason games and other big televised events in recent months. It's from Hyundai, and features a family that drives into the wilderness in a 2024 Santa Fe to "Conquer the Weekend" as Vikings. There's a lot going on in this one that ticks a lot of boxes. An SUV ripping through sensitive ecosystems? Check. Ordinary people cosplaying as brave heroes? Check. Curious messages about stereotypical gender roles? Check. Strange imagery that creeped us out about the direction of the country? Um... check. Not surprisingly, we went deep on this one.

In other news, we'll be at the Winter Cycling Congress in Edmonton, Alberta next week. Tickets to our live show on Friday, February 23rd are still available. We'll be interviewing former Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson and also appearing on a panel with some of our favorite urbanist creators. If you live in the area, come say hi!

Thanks as always for your support!

- Aaron, Sarah and Doug

Patreon supporters who want to listen to this exclusive bonus episode on Apple Podcasts or another podcast app should check out these instructions on how to find and use your private RSS audio link from Patreon. You can also use the Patreon app or listen in your browser. NEW: Listen to exclusive bonus episodes on Spotify!