- Sharing Vehicles through Miles: Handling Encounters with Mature Women
At the beginning of the year, "MILFs" became a topic of discussion, but not in the conventional sense. This wasn't about attractive, experienced women or referencing the film "American Pie," but rather rental cars from the company "Miles." The company's prominent logo on their vehicles became a target for pranksters, who twisted the harmless slogan, referring to the billing system (money per kilometer instead of per minute), into a vulgar term from the realm of adult content.
According to the dictionary, a "Milf" is a sexually attractive, mature woman. The term gains an even more explicit connotation when considering the actual abbreviation, which stands for "mom/mother I'd like to...", or "mother I'd like to... have sex with." The term gained popularity through films like "American Pie" and is now commonly used in titles on adult websites.
After the issue gained attention through numerous media reports, "Miles" received numerous suggestions on how to stop the vandalism. These included new logo designs, changing the company name, or using vehicle stickers that are better protected against vandalism. However, the adult-themed street image in the cities remains unchanged. Why?
Despite countless suggestions, Miles makes no changes
When asked by Stern, Miles explains: "We have received numerous creative suggestions on how to reinterpret the acronym 'MILF' in a positive light – for example, 'Mobility Is Love For Sharing' or 'My Individual Lease-Fleet.' A change in writing style, like 'Miles' or 'miles' (i.e., lowercase), was also suggested to prevent scraping."
However, the company states: "Despite these ideas, we are sticking to our current branding." Rebranding involves great effort and significant costs.
It seems that Miles will continue to consider whether it's worth repairing the defaced logos. If not, things will stay as they are. However, this shouldn't be seen as a sign of the company's lax attitude – at the beginning of the year, Miles promised to report every case of vandalism to the police, if possible.
Women have expressed concern over the company's decision, believing that the use of the term "MILF" can be offensive to many. Despite the backlash, some women find the situation amusing, seeing it as a humorous interpretation of the term's origins.
