Supercheap Auto’s race through Brisbane banned by ad watchdog
A big budget TV ad for Supercheap Auto featuring four wheel drive cars racing through the streets of Brisbane has been banned by the advertising watchdog because it promotes dangerous driving.
The race arrives in Brisbane
The ad – to promote Supercheap Auto’s involvement in motor racing – fell foul of the Ad Standards Board because of city scenes featuring cars racing down the wrong side of the road and on pavements.
The ad features the cars leaving skid marks as they race towards the city
The ad was shot by production company The Dreamers. It features a mixture of special effects and stunt driving. It begins with the four cars – each representing a different oil brand – being dropped off by helicopter at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast before racing along the beach and through Port of Brisbane before arriving in the city.
They then hurtle through city streets at times on the pavement or on the wrong side of the road.
The vehicles cross kerbs (left) and onto the wrong side of the road (right)
A complaint to the ASB argued that if it had been for a car the commercial would have breached multiple sections of the voluntary Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries self-regulatory code. The complaint said: “The Australian road toll is going through the roof. Advertisements like this, promoting dangerous driving will only add to the carnage. If this ad were for a motor vehicle it would be taken off air immediately as it breaches practically every road rule and section of the FCAI code.”
Defending the ad, Supercheap Auto argued that it was clear the cars were being portrayed as racing under controlled conditions.
However, the ASB ruled that although the helicopter and beach scenes were “unrealistic and exaggerated” the same could not be said for the city scenes. It ruled: “The majority of the Board considered that the depiction of the trucks racing through city streets, did so in a manner that highlighted speed and performance of the vehicles or tyres and that the overall impression was condoning street racing or at very least unsafe driving.”
Although the broadcast ad has been banned, it is still available on Supercheap Auto’s YouTube page:
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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Kids have access to an unlimited range of car video games and movies like the highly popular Fast and Furious series – all of which make this ad look quite tame.
This sort of ruling makes out that everyone is a complete and utter idiot without the ability to work out what is right and wrong in the world.
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And thus our society crumbles into just mere flakes of common sense……… People seem to get hurt about anything and everything on TV/Internet these days. I wholeheartedly agree though, I’m off to build a Stadium Truck so I can do the depicted actions on beaches I can’t drive on in vehicles I can’t stick on the street legally, and “terrorise” people everywhere with my reckless actions…………. This is not Dukes of Hazards people, wake up to reality FFS…….
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Boooo! It’s just a damn ad! Get over yourselves you controlling nannies!
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Thank God there are people like this to save us from ourselves. As soon as I saw the ad I thought it was ok to drive stadium trucks flat out through city streets.
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I just watched an ad for XXXX beer where everyone is drinking beer on a small boat including the driver. Doesn’t that encourage people to drink and drive? Every second ad on television could be construed this way.
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This just shows how much on a “Nanny”country we live in, they are obviously racing each other, there is no other traffic, some people need do find something other to do then winge.
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Supposed to be too much like the real world and yet Brisbane streets have no other cars in them in gridlock traffic
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The ASB is out of control and a lot of their decisions are irrational and quiet political in nature, pandering to self interest pressure groups and individuals. Take this decision for example “the ASB ruled that although the helicopter and beach scenes were unrealistic and exaggerated the same could not be said for the city scenes” that’s ridiculous, blind Freddy can see both scenes are highly fictional and pure fantasy. The ASB needs a complete overhaul with people who possess common sense and are not a drag on Australian businesses.
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Lets look at this from another angle.
1. Promote driver education as a school activity from when students turn 16.
2. Have mandatory driving tests, both physical and mental, that need to be passed as you go through school.
3. Teach drivers how to drive in adverse conditions.
4. Teach school children the difference between competition driving and driving on the street.
5. TEACH RESPECT to preschoolers and keep it going through to adulthood.
6. Respect, breeds respect, breeds respect. If you teach respect people will make their OWN mind up about what is wrong and right about driving. The attitude that vehicles racing in controlled conditions promoted bad driving habits is very closed.
7. A side note to teenagers, you do not deserve a licence!!! Once you can prove you are capable of ‘driving’ a car you may use a restricted licence. (See 4.) Once you have shown you are capable of ‘driving’ a restricted car you move on to another level.
8. Go to Motorsport events, go to come and try events, buy an older car with some mates and race it under controlled conditions. I am a Motorsport competitor, I have seen young people, male and female, learn to drive a car at obscene speeds in competition and they all have a regular licence and are exemplary drivers in the real world.
Promote motorsport, not scare tactics.
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Why bother with TV advertising anyway pour that media budget into your online ads instead. Get more reach, less cost, proper analytics and less stupid rules.
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Clearly it’s an Advertisement, Brisbane streets never let you drive faster than 30kph in real life because of the poor traffic conditions.
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this is bullshit ……pussies….a banned promotion video because a bit of action and nice driving …..this world will go to shit ! no wonder assholes are leading the world !
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Brisbane streets with zero traffic during daylight hours is nowhere near realistic… perhaps this ruling was by a Sydneysider who thinks Brisbane is just a big country town with no traffic?
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10/10 agree with everything you just said One more thing to add, though:
9. Drivers of any age should have to pass a test of some sort when renewing their license
I’m still a learner driver, and I’ve been cut off by or seen people over 25 on full licenses driving stupidly. I’m by no means a perfect driver; I’ve made mistakes, and I know that young drivers are at a higher risk. But it’s not just teenagers that can drive dangerously.
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