Paint-Covered Tyres Ad Banned from TV
The TV advert for the BMW Z4 has been axed from screens in Australia after viewers complained it promoted “reckless and menacing driving”!
It’s hard to believe it’s just the advert where the car slips and slides around a white floor laying down tracks with paint-covered tyres.
The painted tyres tracks are clearly intended as a display of artistic creativity as part of the “Expression of Joy” campaign series.
But the complainers have triumphed and the Australian Advertising Standards Bureau has invoked the Advertising Code of Practice and canned the commercial.
In its response to the complaints, BMW said that it believed the ad to be fully compliant with the Code of Practice, and that it was clearly a work of fantasy - not petrol-headed impulse.
“We believe our TV and Online commercial fully comply with the FCAI Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising and can be clearly distinguished by the viewer as an artistic performance and not reality,” said BMW’s official response to the complaints.
“The performance takes place in a controlled environment (a studio warehouse) which is clearly shown at the beginning of the TVC. The car drives across the canvas creating patterns with paint – it does not suggest a real-life driving situation.
“It is clear from the driver’s expression that he is concentrating on creating a specific result and not driving recklessly.
“There is no sign of the driver being out of control… art is the context of the campaign.”
Alex Kapadia, Operations Team
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
