GT86 Advert - Banned

So this is fine for TV:

But this is baaad:


Riiiiiiight..... :rolleyes:

It's crazy, but it's because the first two are game adverts, whereas the GT86 was for a car. I don't agree with it, but that's why.

When I first saw this I did think it might be banned unfortunately :S

Real shame it was... I hoped it wouldn't be...

kd
 
It's crazy, but it's because the first two are game adverts, whereas the GT86 was for a car. I don't agree with it, but that's why.

When I first saw this I did think it might be banned unfortunately :S

Real shame it was... I hoped it wouldn't be...

kd

Thats my point. Surely the claims that it promotes dangerous driving and anti social behaviour can also be applied to other types of adverts, yet its only against the rules of car adverts?

It does explain the blatant product placement of the Focus ST in NFS though.
 
Thats my point. Surely the claims that it promotes dangerous driving and anti social behaviour can also be applied to other types of adverts, yet its only against the rules of car adverts?

It does explain the blatant product placement of the Focus ST in NFS though.

The point is, they don't want people selling a car based on how awesomely you can powerslide it round your local roundabout or how awesomely fast it can go round the M25.

It'd be like Virgin Media advertising 100Meg broadband based on how many illegal movies you could download from Usenet in a day. That's probably what half the purchasers will be doing with it but advertising that it's a good product because of that ability is a no no.

The point isn't necessarily just what the advert is showing but whether the advert is showing that in a particular fashion to sell a particular product.

A game is different because it's showing you all the ridiculous driving you can do in the game, perfectly safely from your sofa.

With a car, they're essentially saying 'Come and buy our car, because look what it can do' - showing it hooning around a public road in that manner isn't acceptable in that context.
 
I know that. But the rules don't say "don't advertise stuff by showing how it could be used illegally", they say the advert should not promote dangerous driving or anti social behaviour, something which could be applied much further than just to car adverts.

The rules just seem odd when the messages you are allowed to portray vary depending on the product. Its the NFS advert that is the main point for me that shows this. It is quite clearly a paid product placement by Ford, but its OK to show real life footage of wreckless driving in a real car because its an advert for a game, not the car. Surely the promotion of anti social or dangerous driving message is the same regardless? If you cut the in game footage bit off the end it could well be an ST advert, and would be banned.
 
It's not the same though, because by showing that footage for a game, they are advertising how you can behave in that game. Dangerous driving in a game is fine.

With a car, advertising it by demonstrating how it can be used to breach the rules of the road, is a very distinct difference. It's not solely the fact it shows 'dangerous driving', it's that it shows 'dangerous driving' as a way of demonstrating the way the product can (should) be used.

That's why the rules are specific to car adverts - it's do with ways of promoting a particular product and it's usages, not just a general cover all rule for all adverts.

With the Focus ST thing, if they did cut the footage off and use it as an advert for the ST then the message the advert sends has changed markedly. It's gone from very obviously being 'look at what you can do in this game' to 'look at what you can do in this car'.

There is the possibility it's even done like this from a false advertising point of view, rather than encouraging dangerous behaviour, in that it's not right to advertise something by showing all the things you can't actually do with it.
 
Just for information sake:

Principle
Advertisements should not contribute to a culture of dangerous, irresponsible or inconsiderate driving or motorcycling, especially among young drivers.

Definition
“Motoring advertisements” are broadcast advertisements for vehicles or other automotive products; for example, tyres, fuel or car accessories. These rules do not apply to public service advertisements about road safety.

Rules
Rules for all advertisements:
20.1 Advertisements must not condone or encourage dangerous, competitive, inconsiderate or irresponsible driving or motorcycling. Advertisements must not suggest that driving or motorcycling safely is staid or boring.
20.2 Advertisements must not condone or encourage a breach of the legal requirements of the Highway Code.

Rules for motoring advertisements:
20.3 Motoring advertisements must not demonstrate power, acceleration or handling characteristics except in a clear context of safety. Reference to those characteristics must not suggest excitement, aggression or competitiveness.
20.4 Motoring advertisements must not refer to speed in a way that might condone or encourage dangerous, competitive, inconsiderate or irresponsible driving or motorcycling. Factual statements about a vehicle’s speed or acceleration are permissible but must not be presented as a reason for preferring the advertised vehicle. Speed or acceleration claims must not be the main selling message of an advertisement.
20.5 Motoring advertisements must not exaggerate the benefit of safety features to consumers or suggest that a vehicle’s features enable it to be driven or ridden faster or in complete safety.
 
Yes. The model in the game is the Mk2 RS 500. But there are billboards all over the place advertising the Mk3 (there are no other car advert billboards) and its in the advertising and other press.

I think you are confused.

Ford Focus RS500: http://www.needforspeed.com/en_UK/cars/most-wanted/ford-focus-rs500

Ford Focus ST Mk3: http://www.needforspeed.com/en_UK/cars/most-wanted/ford-focus-st

Seems odd they'd list it as an in game car if it just appears on billboards? :confused:
 
Actually, turns out it is in the game, but its a hidden car you unlock through online milestones and isn't shown in the stats (I have 41/41 cars and don't have it).

Back to those rules you posted though, do 20.1 and 20.2 not apply to all adverts? It just seems like the ASA have decided its wrong to promote bad driving, but then decided that only car adverts can be guilty of it?
 
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Actually, turns out it is in the game, but its a hidden car you unlock through online milestones and isn't shown in the stats (I have 41/41 cars and don't have it).

Back to those rules you posted though, do 20.1 and 20.2 not apply to all adverts? It just seems like the ASA have decided its wrong to promote bad driving, but then decided that only car adverts can be guilty of it?

The point is, a game advert is encouraging buying a game to mess around in. This is pretty much the polar opposite of encouraging dangerous driving on the road. It's saying 'if you want to behave like this, take it to a game'.

With a car you are directly condoning a certain behaviour on the road. The same would apply to tyre ads, or maybe an anti perspirant that claims to keep you dry even when hooning it, or even something as daft selling sunglasses by making the driver seem cool because he power slides his car.
 
Just seems odd that if the NFS advert said "buy the new ST" at the end it would be banned for promoting dangerous driving, but because it says "buy a game" at the end its somehow no longer sending that same message to the easily impressionable people the ASA assume will be watching?
 
Just seems odd that if the NFS advert said "buy the new ST" at the end it would be banned for promoting dangerous driving, but because it says "buy a game" at the end its somehow no longer sending that same message to the easily impressionable people the ASA assume will be watching?

Well that's because it's not sending the same message :confused:

Removing the entire bit where it deliberately morphs into a game world, to make the implication that you can do in the game world what is clearly not acceptable in the real world does significantly change the message the advert delivers.

One promotes buying a car because it allows you to behave like a knob on the road. One promotes buying a game because it allows you to specifically avoid a road to behave like a knob.

When the point of the message is 'this is a bad thing to do on the road, buy a game to do it instead', it's easy to see why it is treated differently.

Hypothetically changing or removing the context, is somewhat missing the point I feel, when the rules are based on context.
 
It still sends a message of dangerous and illegal driving, doesn't it? I.e. what's detailed in points 20.1 and 20.2.

No, it doesn't.

It doesn't condone or encourage it, it condones and encourages that you do it in a fantasy world instead of real life. This implies that such behaviour in real life is a negative thing.

A very different message to an advert that condones or encourages it to make something appear desirable as a result. This implies that such behaviour in real life is a positive thing.
 
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