The cinema advertisement for the new BMW 2 Series falls foul of the code of conduct according to the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).
The advert footage shown in cinemas has the Series 2 BMW sliding in the sand. Dear Oh Dearie me!
The ASB says the advert depicted unsafe driving in breach of a voluntary car industry advertising code of conduct, but admitted that even though it showed a tachometer up near the rev limit, it did not show a driver breaking the speed limit.
“The advertisement commenced with the vehicle being accelerated such that it lost traction of its driving wheels, then accelerating at speed and preceded to display 360’s and significant loss of traction, typical of hoon activity,” the complaint to the ASB says. The complainer went on to say, “I consider it portrays an unfavorable message, contrary to safe and sensible driving.”
Unfortunately for BMW, the bureau agreed with part of the complaint.
In its defense, BMW Australia said the car was not shown being driven above the legal speed limit, with no image of the speedometer shown.
“Instead, any sensation of ‘speed’ was delivered by deliberate editing of a high standard (including by panning or rotating the footage) to create dramatic visual effect with alternative rock background music track sourced from local Australian band Kings of the North and sped up in pace from the original stock footage to match the musical beat and also shortened in duration for commercial (cost) reasons,” it said.
“We understand that footage of the vehicle on unsealed dusty desert roads was shot on private property, with deliberate camera angles, possible weather and lighting effects (including clever use of a low angle sun) employed to add visual impact.
“We would also add that these creative measures are likely to have been exaggerated from the viewer’s perspective in a cinema environment with Dolby surround sound and high definition, super-size cinema screens,” BMW Australia said.
However, while the ASB found that the ad did not depict excessive speed, it did show the 2 Series being driven in a reckless manner as the engine revved and the wheels spun, leaving black marks on the road.
“BMW does not consider this complaint or its allegations to be substantiated in any way and accordingly BMW submits that this application be dismissed summarily as a frivolous complaint given the cinematic environment.”
I agree with BMW, but then I am probably classed as a ‘hoon’ as well. What you see on the screen is not ‘real’ life as anyone over the age of three understands.
What will they do next? Ban Mission Impossible, Captain America and Spiderman? After all, there’s some ‘hoon’ behavior there as well.
