ASA Adjudication on Electronic Arts Ltd

Ad

A TV ad for the computer game "Need for Speed: Shift" featured game footage of cars racing from the driver’s perspective. The race sequence was intercut with shots of the driver’s brain, heart, eye and an X-ray of his hand. Tyres squealed as the driver lost control of the car and crashed. The voice-over and on-screen text stated “Think fast, drive faster”.

Issue

Four viewers challenged whether the ad was likely to cause harm because it condoned irresponsible and unsafe driving.

BCAP TV Code

Response

Electronic Arts Ltd (EA) said the driving depicted in the game footage was on an authorised race track complete with flags, banners, markings and other racing iconography. They said the driver was wearing a crash helmet, indicating that the game depicted legitimate track racing and the required safety precautions had been taken into account.  They said the tagline "Think fast. Drive faster" indicated that by thinking faster you could outperform the competition in the race, and was not intended to encourage people to drive faster than they could think. They pointed out that the car crashed at the end of the ad, and therefore did not glorify driving recklessly at high speeds.

Clearcast said the game footage was clearly fantasy and divorced from reality. They pointed out that the sequence took place on a race track with the driver kitted out accordingly. They said they did not consider that the ad condoned irresponsible driving.

Assessment

Not upheld

The ASA noted EA and Clearcasts comments. We accepted that the sequence in the ad was clearly game footage and noted the on-screen text stated "Graphics and features vary by console." We considered the intercutting shots of the drivers brain, heart and eye distanced the sequence from reality and made it fantastical. In addition, we noted the cars were shown in a competitive racing environment, and not on the highway. Because of that, and because the sequence was clearly fantasy, we concluded the ad did not condone irresponsible and unsafe driving.

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

Action

No further action necessary.

Adjudication of the ASA Council (Broadcast)