Bentley’s 300kmh advertising stunt banned by ad watchdog
A promotional video featuring a Bentley being driven at 330kmh through the Northern Territory has been ordered to be taken offline by the Advertising Standards Bureau.
The ASB ruled the video, featuring professional racing driver John Bowe driving the Bentley Continental GT Speed on the unrestricted Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory under controlled conditions, breached the rules that state a car cannot be promoted driving at greater than the speed limit in any state where the ad was published.
In the final scene of the ad the speedometer is shown reading 206mph or 330kmh, three times the highest speed limit found outside the Northern Territory.
In Australia the video was hosted by Wheels magazine and also on Bentley Australia’s Youtube channel.
“The Board noted that whilst the advertisement uses John Bowe, described as a ‘legend of Australian motor sport’, to drive the Bentley, he states ‘this is not a customised race car’ and the driving takes place on a public highway, not a race track or dedicated testing facility, to show how fast the ‘road car’ can go,” the ASB said.
“The Board did consider that the advertisement showed excessive speed, with the text at the commencement of the advertisement stating the car would be driven at maximum speed and the driver commenting that he was going to see just how fast it could go.”
Bentley responded to the complaint saying it had taken precautions ahead of filming the ad.
“Prior to the activity, we applied with the local authorities and the Northern Territory has granted permission to Bentley Motors Ltd to undertake the activity at the derestricted section of the Stuart Highway,” the car maker said.
“A section of the Stuart Highway was closed with the assistance of the Northern Territory Government and observed by helicopter at all times.”
After the finding it said that it would take the video off its Bentley Australia Youtube channel, however the video is still available on other channels on Youtube.
Not like it’s encouraging people to drop the kids at school at 300kph. Ad standards are a bit over reaching. Are we a complete nanny state? Seriously…
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So now the ASB wants to control content on the Internet?
Good luck with that!
We should outsource the ASB to China.
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Yeah Charlie. I’m with you and your cogent argument all the way.
I reckon we should be allowed to drive on either side of the road we choose, and choose which colour traffic lights we stop at. Bloody nanny state!
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