May 9, 2018
BMW advert 'promoted dangerous driving'
The UK's advertising watchdog said it feared the mix of fast-paced scenes - which intercut images of the car skidding with young children doing likewise in mud - would encourage dangerous manoeuvres on public roads. The ASA noted that in the latest case, BMW had claimed that all the cars shown had been driven "In a safe and responsible" manner, and had said that several of the scenes had taken place on private dirt tracks rather than public roads. The manufacturer had denied its cars had truly skidded, instead describing the way their tyres had appeared to slip as "a slight reduction in traction". It insisted there had been at least one brief shot of a car appearing to skid. In addition to forbidding the ad from being run again in its current form, the ASA has also instructed the German company to avoid showing off its cars' handling characteristics "In the context of excitement" in the future.
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