Super Bowl LI is only four days away and as the days count down to the Big Game, we’re already seeing a rush of commercial releases from some of the biggest automakers in the world. Buick just released its new ad for the Cascada and Encore SUV. Lexus and Kia rolled out their ads a week ago, although the latter only released a short teaser of its full ad for Sunday. Then there’s Audi, whose commercials have been staples during the Super Bowl. The German automaker is once again making its presence felt for Super Bowl LI with a new commercial for the S5 Sportback that doesn’t really do much in highlighting the car.

The 60-second clip is called Daughters and unlike the celebrity routes that companies like Kia and Buick went to this year, Audi kept its ad close to the chest with a poignant message about gender equality among millions of people. It’s a curious choice to make, but Audi hasn’t been in shy using Super Bowl commercials to address social or civic issues in the past, so there’s a precedent there for the company to take this approach on Daughters.

The ad itself focuses on a young girl competing in a soap box derby against a group of boys as her father serves as the de facto narrator. Despite being subjected to underhanded tricks and all around mischief from her competitors, the young girl perseveres to take home the victory.

All the while, the father laments on the issues that his young daughter could face when she grows up in a world that still hasn’t embraced equality the way it should. But as the ad ends, his tone shifts to a more positive one as he starts hoping for a better world for his young daughter.

And, just as the ad ends, the S5 Sportback finally makes a quick cameo before the screen fades to black and Audi’s message of commitment “to equal pay for equal work” flashes on the screen.

Daughters

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There’s something to be said for an automaker to take this kind of approach when it comes to its Super Bowl commercial. Mind you, these commercials aren’t cheap as Fox is reportedly charging as much as $5.5 million for a 30-second spot during the game. A case can definitely be made that if an auto brand is paying that much for prime placement in the Super Bowl, it better promote the business out of whatever model it wants to promote.

So to see Audi emphasize an issue as important as equality over touting the S5 Sportback is a curious decision. I’m not saying that it’s a bad move or a waste of money, but that approach - even with the strength of the message - could end up backfiring if viewers don’t even notice the premium sedan in the little airtime it received to begin with.

On the other hand, I completely understand why something like equality is important to address in a stage as big as the Super Bowl. We all know what’s going on in the country today and whether you’re on one side or the other, it’s fair to say that we can all at least agree that we’re a very divided country right now.

Audi’s message is clear and straight to the point. It’s also a sobering reminder of the many societal issues that we still have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. I suppose if it means shining a light on one of these issues - equality for all - the German automaker can do away with not giving the S5 Sportback more airtime than what it got. Can’t say I blame Audi for taking this approach. Not one bit.

Read our full review on the 2017 Audi S5 Sportback here.