This car commercial turns gender stereotypes upside down in the coolest way

If you’ve ever passed the toy aisles at a major department store, you’ve no doubt noticed the pink/blue divide. Pink “girl” toys live in one aisle, and blue toys “for boys” live in another. Girls get fake kitchens and baby dolls, while boys get cars and Lego sets. But a new car commercial upends those gender stereotypes in an awesome way — and we’re both shocked and super happy to see it.

At the start of the Audi Spain ad, the girl toys on the “pink side” are seen pushing babies in strollers, dancing, and putting on makeup, until one frustrated doll in a broken-down Cinderella-style carriage gets fed up and swings herself over to the “blue” side — using a string of Christmas lights — to find a vehicle that actually works.

After getting harassed by a number of other cars (catcalling — it’s no joke!) a shiny blue Audi rolls out of its box, presenting itself to her like a beacon of freedom.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-siux-rWQM?feature=oembed

Equipped with her new set of working wheels, the doll speeds off, drag racing with a smaller car and encouraging other toys to break free of their gender chains all the while.

First, we see a male doll drinking tea.

And then there’s a pink pony riding a skateboard.

And, finally, a real boy who picks up the Audi with the girl inside. When his mother says the two toys “don’t go together,” his reaction is priceless. Watch the video above to see!

This may be a marketing ploy to get more women to buy Audis, but in an industry that’s been defined by sexist advertising for the better part of 50 years, it marks a significant shift. Even in 2014 — just two years ago — Ford tried to appeal to female consumers by partnering with OPI to create Mustang-themed nail polish. Because, you know, women can’t just be interested in cars.

So we applaud Audi for its efforts and we’ll be keeping an eye on its #CambiemosElJuego — aka #ChangingTheGame — campaign, which aims to raise awareness about sexism in children’s toy aisles and on the road, and shift kids’ perspectives on what girls and boys can and can’t do. An admirable goal indeed!