Ad description

A website, www.belstaff.co.uk, featured an embedded video on the "PURE MOTORCYCLE" page of the website. The video featured a group of five men riding motorcycles on UK roads and visiting the Goodwood racing circuit, before arriving at a Belstaff store in Central London. One scene depicted a motorcycle passing another on the inside of the road. The ad also depicted a blue motorway sign that stated "M23 London". The scene that followed that image showed one of the riders with his hands off the handlebars and his arms outstretched in a horizontal position.

Issue

The complainant, who believed the ad encouraged unsafe driving, challenged whether the ad breached the Code.

Response

Belstaff Group SA said the ad was prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society and was not intended to encourage unsafe driving. They said it promoted the Belstaff brand and the spirit of the open road, using riders with significant riding expertise.

Assessment

Upheld

The ASA noted the ad included a scene from a public road where one rider was shown to overtake another rider on the inside of a bend in the road. A further scene showed a rider with his hands off the handlebars and his arms outstretched in a horizontal position. That scene was presented immediately after an image of a blue motorway sign and the implication was that the stunt took place on a public road.

We considered the presentation of those manoeuvres condoned and encouraged unsafe and irresponsible riding. On that basis, we concluded that the ad breached the Code.

The ad breached CAP Code (Edition 12) rules  1.3 1.3 Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.  (Social responsibility) and  19.2 19.2 Marketing communications must not condone or encourage unsafe or irresponsible driving. If it could be emulated, marketing communications must not depict a driving practice that is likely to condone or encourage a breach of those rules of the Highway Code that are legal requirements if that driving practice seems to take place on a public road or in a public space. Vehicles' capabilities may be demonstrated on a track or circuit if it is obviously not in use as a public highway.  (Motoring).

Action

The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Belstaff Group SA to ensure ads did not condone or encourage unsafe and irresponsible riding in future.

CAP Code (Edition 12)

1.3     19.2    


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