Squarespace’s Keanu Reeves ad banned for depicting ‘reckless behaviour’
Two of Squarespace’s ads featuring Canadian actor Keanu Reeves have been banned by the local ad watchdog for promoting unsafe and “reckless behaviour”.
One of the ads features Reeves standing on top of a motorbike while driving down the road, while the other spot shows Reeves throwing his laptop into a fire and adding an accelerant.
Complaints posted to Ad Standards said the ad insinuates this is a “cool thing” to do as it is done by Reeves.
“This ad is promoting extremely risky dangerous behaviour.”
“I am horrified that this advert was even allowed on TV in the first place. Very irresponsible,” another complaint said.
Squarespace said the ad where Reeves is seen standing on a motorbike is a “dramatised version” of a stunt, similar to those performed in movies.
“The programs in which the TVC was broadcast are programs directed towards adults and would only reasonably be viewed by children with appropriate adult supervision,” Sqaurespace added.
Despite this, Ad Standards upheld the complaints as the behaviour on the bike is the focus of the ad and the disclaimer at the beginning of the commercial does not do enough to discourage people copying the “reckless behaviour”.
In the spot where Reeves is featured throwing a laptop into a burning fire with accelerant, Squarespace said this was also “clearly an exaggerated and dramatised film-like” scene.
Ad Standards upheld the complaints against the ad stating it shows a man standing very close to a fire and deliberately pouring accelerant on it, which promotes unsafe behaviour.
Squarespace is a software as a service-based content management system, integrated website builder, blogging platform, hosting service, commerce platform, and domain name registrar, with the ads using the tagline ‘Make it happen’.
Abigail Dawson was Mumbrella's senior content journalist covering event content. She left Mumbrella to move into an agency role in 2020.
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Reckless behaviour??? But life is a reckless behaviour! Do they ban firearms’s lobbby, tobacco ‘ s industry, do they ban bungee jumpings ? Why not ban love for breaking hearts ? I hate these organisations laying down their ” good behaviour ” codes law. As Squarespace said, parents have to explain to their children. Always people to tell you where to shit ! ? ? ?
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This is stupid. I don’t see them banning fastfood commercials, or alcohol or stupid shows like the kardashians. It seems people will complain for the sake of complaining. Lmao. The ad was actually goofy and poking fun at the ridiculousness ot itself.
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absolutely ridiculous. is there anything that is not offensive anymore?? it is a very creative ad. are we going to start banning our own imaginations?? nonsense…
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Gosh would it matter if Keanu threw his laptop out of the window ?
Bonfires are dangerous , throwing laptops in it could cause an expl@sion like Musk his tesla did , and don’t Keanu dare to go bike surfing in a desert ala Johnny Uttah on a surfboard on dangerous wet water waves , its an add for crying out loud , better put restriction Mac Death its frankenfood , one bite out of a Big Mac and i have to run to the ER asking for an Epi-pen , or on Coca Cola as it cleans your toilet better then bleach or celit bang , Everyone knows that Keanu surfing on the bike was CGI done
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Was the Van Damme, Volvo Truck ‘Splits’ ad ever banned?
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This is your f@cking wake up call Keanu I am an Ad Standards Agent!
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My thoughts exactly Marc!
Why should we stop at banning activities that are just dangerous physically, surely the betting ads that are literally everywhere are promoting unsafe behaviour too!!
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“As you can see, we’ve been watching you for quite some time Mr. Anderson…”
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“Complaints posted to Ad Standards said the ad insinuates this is a “cool thing” to do as it is done by Reeves.”, making them the only cool thing that Reeves has done since the 90s.
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Spot on!
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Wow! Now that’s a bold and courageous move! How about now you start banning all the toxic sugar product promoting advertisements or better still companies that allow contract child labour or even better still products of mutlti global companies that don’t pay taxes!! So if you are going to remove an advertisement because it promotes reckless behavior you better be willing to go for the companies that are destroying human lives and our planet – driven by short term unconsciousness and greed! Now that would be truly courageous of you! Please show us and post the standards that you assess advertisements against so that there is some transparency and public accountability against what constitutes “responsible” advertising! I look forward to seeing these standards. Thank you so much.
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Sounds like maybe you haven’t seen the John Wick movies…
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