Toyota may be the biggest car brand in Australia, but that doesn’t mean it’s immune from the occasional misstep, with one of its advertisements being pulled from TV after a complaint.
The free-to-air TV ad – a longer version of the below minute-long video – shows the Toyota GR Yaris being controlled by a professional stunt driver in racing attire, starting in the outback and ending at a Melbourne dock.
Throughout the video, the driver performs stunts such as a jump between two dirt ramps, handbrake turns and drifts in a warehouse, and even balancing on two wheels, set against the soundtrack of Amyl and the Sniffers’ song ‘Hertz’.
In a case report posted by Ad Standards, the community panel received a complaint about the ad “on the grounds that the advertisement depicts unsafe driving practices”, putting it in potential breach of Section 2a of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Code.
The Section 2a, Clause 2 of the FCAI Code states that “Advertisers should ensure that advertisements for motor vehicles do not portray any of the following.
“Unsafe driving, including reckless or menacing driving that would breach any Commonwealth law or the law of any State or Territory in the relevant jurisdiction in which the advertisement is published or broadcast dealing with road safety or traffic regulation, if such driving were to occur on a road or road-related area, regardless of where the driving is depicted in the advertisement.”
Additionally, a Guidance Note says ”Advertisers should ensure that advertisements do not depict, encourage or condone dangerous, illegal, aggressive or reckless driving.
“…In particular, it is noted that use of disclaimers indicating that a particular scene or advertisement was produced under controlled conditions; using expert drivers; that viewers should not attempt to emulate the driving depicted; or expressed in other similar terms, should be avoided.
“Such disclaimers cannot in any way be used to justify the inclusion of material which otherwise does not comply with the provisions of the FCAI Code. Advertisers should not use references to the speed or acceleration capabilities of a motor vehicle … on a public road where the driving depicted and the reference to such capabilities would contravene clause 2(a).”
Toyota responded to the complaint, saying “In this context, the ad depicts scenes of a stunt driver (in full safety gear) manoeuvring the GR Yaris through a series of fantastical and unrealistic activities to tie in with the GR Yaris’ close association with motor sport”.
“The scenes do not depict reckless or unsafe behaviour, but rather a trained driver, in safety gear, demonstrating the vehicles abilities on a closed circuit.”
However, the Community Panel ultimately found the ad breached Section 2a, Clause 2a of the FCAI code, in particular referencing the closing tagline, “GR Yaris nice to know it could”.
“The Panel considered that this, coupled with the scenes of the vehicle jumping through the air and skidding through boom gates created an aspirational link to the driving shown, and removes any suggestion that the scenes were part of racing, vehicle testing or proving.
“The Panel also noted that the vehicle was not depicted in racing livery or anything that limited the context to motor sport or vehicle testing or proving. The Panel considered that the vehicle is driven in a manner that would likely breach Commonwealth law or the law of any State or Territory, if it were done on a road or road related area.”
As a result, Ad Standards said Toyota had informed its media agency, HERO, to “discontinue the advertisement in response to the determination by the Ad Standards Community Panel”.
While the ad is no longer in circulation on free-to-air TV, the full version can still be found on Toyota Australia’s YouTube channel.
Toyota Australia has been contacted for comment.
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