In the driving seat?

26 September 2008

An ad by Unilever Ireland for Sure Girl deodorant depicted three young women dancing in the back seat of a car; but none of the girls was wearing a seatbelt.    Although it was stationary, the ASA considered that the girls’ dancing gave the impression that the car was moving and decided that the ad could condone and encourage dangerous behaviour.

Similarly, the ASA upheld complaints about two TV ads featuring drivers using mobile phones.  An ad for Sleepmasters showed a man receiving a text message while he was in the driving seat of his car.  An ad for LG Electronics showed a woman using her mobile phone while she was stuck in a traffic jam.  Because they featured a person who was using a mobile phone while sitting in the driving seat of a car, the ASA considered both ads encouraged and condoned irresponsible behaviour. 

Here are some points for you to remember to make sure you stay on the road to responsible advertising:

• All ads, not merely those for cars, must not condone or encourage irresponsible driving;

• Even if it does not encourage irresponsible behaviour, an ad could condone it simply by featuring it.  So remember not to feature drivers using their mobile phones and make sure that everyone shown in a vehicle is wearing a seatbelt;

• The rules make some allowances for flamboyant driving in scenes that are clearly fantasy or theatrical.  Ads showing realistic scenes and behaviour need special care because they can be easy for children to emulate;

• The ASA is less likely to find an ad has condoned or encouraged irresponsible driving if the people featured in an ad have complied with the Highway Code;

If you are putting together some non-broadcast ads, the CAP Copy Advice team could help you avoid accidents.  And it’s as simple as mirror, signal, manoeuvre.

Links to relevant adjudications:

Unilever 18 June 2008

LG Electronics 4 June 2008

Sleepmasters 9 July 2008