Toyota Facebook ad removed for showing a 'car burnout'

Ashley Regan
By Ashley Regan | 11 June 2024
 
Credit: Eugene Tkachenko via Unsplash

A Toyota Facebook ad has been removed for promoting unsafe driving.

The Facebook advertising features an image of a Toyota C-HR GR Sport with a trail of smoke behind it and the text "Get Race Ready".

The complaint submitted to Ad Standards raised concerns that the advertisement promoted unsafe driving featuring a car doing a "burnout".

Coburg Toyota ad via Ad Standards.

Coburg Toyota ad via Ad Standards.

Coburg Toyota said the setting of the ad is a controlled environment.

"While the depiction of fast cars and smoke might evoke notions of hoon driving, the context here is crucial," Toyota said.

"The use of a racetrack underlines that these activities are taking place in a safe, regulated environment, intended for such high-performance demonstrations, rather than public roads.

"This distinction is important for addressing concerns around promoting unsafe driving behaviours."

However, the Ad Standards Panel considered that such driving behaviour, if done on a road or road-related area, would breach Commonwealth law or the law of any State or Territory.

As a result the ad did breach FCAI Motor Vehicle Advertising Codes of 2(a) unsafe driving and 3 motor sport.

The advertisement was taken down.

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