Suzuki ad banned for promoting reckless driving, but not for sexism
An ad that shows a car speeding through a car park has been banned for glamourising reckless driving.
The ad, titled ‘Hot hatch’ for Suzuki Swift, shows a young couple driving through a car park with sprinklers going off behind them.
The Ad Standards Bureau said that the ad promoted speeding by using footage which has been sped up in some scenes, and with images of the driver pressing his foot on the accelerator and a rapidly increasing speedometer.
One complaint read: “The ad conveys the wrong messages to young drivers deeming it responsible to drive at breakneck speed through a multi-storey car park. Further the need to have a scantily clad lady does nothing to enhance the image of the car.”
However, the ASB dismissed claims that the ad was sexist and discriminated against women. It ruled: “While it is not necessary for the woman to be wearing a low cut dress the dress is not inappropriate attire for a woman and that her breasts are adequately covered.”
Suzuki Australia is to put the ad back on air once the scenes of the accelerator pedal and tachometer have been deleted.
The news comes one month after the Japanese car maker had to recall 11,000 Suzuki Swifts to repair a potential defect with the car’s fuel filler pipe hose.
How is this woman scantily dressed? I’ve seen much younger wearing much less in the middle of the day waiting for the bus. Perhaps it would make the complainant happy if we all dressed like Amish and drove buggies too. FFS people need to get over themselves. And how is this different from the countless other car ads that show the same thing?
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The ad contains a gratuitous close up shot of cleavage. While not really offensive in itself, I find the taste level questionable. Since it doesn’t show a close-up shot of the guy’s crotch, I would say claims that it is sexist are probably warranted.
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What a joke for this ad to be banned! Seriously PC is this country has gone bad. Equally unimportant you are an idiot! It’s a sexy ad that gets it’s point across, I believe fairly well. Seriously what type of ads will we have in 10 years; just words on a screen?
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The minority rules again
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i think the bigger concern is where the hell these people were going once they got out of a car having driven like 20 stories up through an empty carpark?
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some nice eye candy, the woman dresses like what i see everyday walking around agency land. 🙂 crap car btw
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The FCAI car advertising code forbids such advertising.
It is a a voluntary code which the industry has agreed to
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Looks like the undies ad is in serious trouble then.
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