How Subarus Came to Be Seen as Cars for Lesbians

Reading Summary:

This article talked about how Subaru changed its approach and started targeting lesbian audiences in their advertisements. This new approach came as a result of Subaru experiencing difficulty in trying to market their brand to a general audience of 18-35 year olds. The decision to target the lesbians wasn’t easy as it was challenging to get management on board with the idea and overall, the company received a lot of backlash in response to their decision. However, this hard decision paid off as their new approach became a huge success. Ultimately, the Subaru brand fit perfectly with lesbians and their active, low-key lifestyle. This decision came in a time where there wasn’t a lot of positive discussion toward the LGBT community. However, Subaru created a new trend as advertisements toward the LGBT community started to become more mainstream. 

Outside Example:

My outside example is a store called “Lefty’s, the Left Hand Store.” They have 2 stores in Florida and 1 in California. Lefty’s is unique because they make products specifically designed for left-handed people. From school supplies to kitchen sets, they strive to make everyday tasks easier for left-handed people. I’m right handed and I’ve never really thought about how difficult it is for lefties to use everyday objects. However, now that I think about it, I realize that it is the default for products to be made for right handed people. Even items like scissors and notebooks are designed for righties.

Reading Connection:

I found a connection between Subaru and the Lefty’s store because of the fact that they target such a specific audience. Similar to Subaru’s approach to advertise itself as a car meant for lesbians, Lefty’s also targets a minority population as only 10% of the world population is left handed. I think both of these brands are successful because the groups that they advertise towards are so used to being overlooked and treated as invisible. Also, this approach allows them to differentiate themselves from other brands that target a more basic audience. These groups really appreciate it when a brand advertise towards them and they end up becoming super supportive of these brands. Overall, I found a connection between these two companies because they separated their companies by targeting a disregarded population and found success in marketing towards these audiences.