Some narrow minded cobweb bound old codger has been on to the Advertising
Standards Authority and has forced Mazda to withdraw an advert advocating
overtaking. An objection to a magazine advertisement, for the Mazda 2.0 litre
323 Sport, that was headed "Why keep up with the Jones's when you could
overtake?" featured a photograph of the car being driven on a road and
the incriminating evidence was that both the road and surrounding landscape were
blurred. The complainant objected that the advertisement glamorised speed and
reckless driving. :banghead:
The advertisers said they had tried not to make speed the predominant message
of the advertisement and had sought advice from the Committee of Advertising
Practice Copy Advice team. Apparently they did not intend to imply that the car
was travelling fast, just to poke fun at small town one-upmanship.
When considerign the complaint the ASA considered that, although it suggested
that the car was moving fast, the blurred background did not suggest that the
car was breaking the speed limit or being driven recklessly.
Despite that they were concerned that the advertisement seemed to glamorise
speed. It considered that the advertisement portrayed, and seemed to condone,
fast driving. That apparently was irresponsible and Mazda have been told to give
less emphasis to speed in their future advertisements.
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