Toyota ran a British campaign for the popular Hilux pick-up that went down poorly with the Advertising Standards Authority, the equivalent of the Swedish Advertising Ombudsman.
On social media and in outdoor advertising, for example at bus stops, photos and videos (see below) of the Hilux being driven in different environments were seen. In the ad, the Hilux is shown driving, among other things, “off-road”, that is, on the terrain. The images come with the message “Born to Roam.” This is precisely the off-road segment that the Advertising Standards Authority has begun working on.
The UK advertising watchdog has now decided that Toyota ads can no longer run in the country because they “presented and condoned the use of vehicles in a way that ignores their impact on nature and the environment” and therefore did not comply with UK standards. Advertising Code “Sense of responsibility to consumers and society.”
Toyota responded to the Advertising Standards Authority that the advertisements appear in landscapes that do not resemble the UK and that it does not intend to encourage UK consumers to imitate the activities shown in the advertisements. They also added that the still image in the bus stop advertisement was computer generated and that the operations that were actually made were done on private land with all necessary permits.
The Advertising Standards Authority does not believe this explanation but believes the images appear realistic and therefore encourage irresponsible behaviour.
The notification to the Advertising Standards Authority was received from the UK organizations Badvertising and Adfree Cities. The latter imposes a complete ban on advertising SUVs.
Two years ago, the Advertising Standards Authority approved an advert for British car company Jaguar, in which a car is seen driving through a forest. The written message, “Life is so much better without restrictions,” was thought to refer to the then-ongoing coronavirus pandemic and not off-road driving.
Off-road driving in Sweden
This is how the county administrative council wrote:
The basic rule in the off-road driving law is that it is prohibited to drive a motor vehicle on bare terrain off-road. This applies even if it is your land.
There are general exceptions to the off-road driving ban. Exceptions may require permission from the landowner and apply if the procedure cannot be carried out in any other suitable way.
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