ASA Adjudication on Zurich Insurance Company

Ad

A TV ad, for Zurich car insurance, showed a man getting into the passenger seat of a car. A younger woman was in the driving seat. The driver and passenger both put their seatbelts on. The car then moved forward in fits and starts, ran backwards after a failed hill-start, swerved between vehicles, stalled at a junction and finally came to a sudden halt. The man, who seemed relieved that the journey was over, opened the passenger door directly onto a lamp post. A voice-over stated "If you'd like to pay less for your car insurance, call Zurich now ... You'll be surprised what you can save. We could give you up to £128 off your current premium and up to nine years no claims discount as well as a complimentary courtesy car ...".

Issue

Eight viewers, who believed the ad portrayed a learner driver, thought it condoned irresponsible driving because the car did not display 'L' plates.

BCAP TV Code

Response

Zurich said the ad did not depict a learner driver; it showed a father accompanying his daughter on her first journey since passing her driving test.  They said the father was nervous because his daughter had not driven him anywhere before, he was unsure of the quality of her driving and they were in his car.  They explained that the daughter's errors, such as stalling at a junction, were based on the idea that, although new drivers were usually competent, being accompanied by a parent could cause extra pressure that resulted in poor performance.

Clearcast said they could understand why viewers might think the driver had not passed her test, because her driving was so poor.  They argued, however, that the ad portrayed a nervous new driver who had passed her test but whose performance was affected by the presence of her father, who she was trying to impress.  They said, because the driver had passed her test, the issue of 'L' plates did not arise and there was no breach of the Highway Code.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted the poor quality of driving in the ad, which seemed below the standard of someone who had passed their driving test.  However, we noted the ad contained no explicit references to a learner driver and the passenger did not give any instructions to the driver.  We considered most viewers were likely to assume that the ad merely portrayed a very bad driver and her anxious passenger.  Because of that, we considered there was no need for the car to display 'L' plates.  We concluded that the ad was unlikely to be seen as condoning irresponsible driving.

We investigated the ad under CAP (Broadcast) TV Advertising Standards Code rules 11.9.1 and 11.9.2 (Driving standards) but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action required.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)