It’s tricky creating a catchy ad. You want something people will remember, but not one that will get you in trouble with the big wigs at the Advertising Standards Board. This one from Nissan has now been banned a second time by the ASB over safety concerns.
The ad for the new Nissan Pulsar SSS has been pulled by the ASB following complaints over the unsafe nature of the couple driving. This is the second time the ad has been banned, with the unmodified version of the ad drawing the ire of viewers for the woman urging her partner to drive fast, a loud engine noise and suspected tailgating of other cars. Nissan modified the ad for content and re-aired it online and on TV and drew similar complaints, leading to a negative ruling from the ASB big-wigs.
The unspoken rule of advertising cars is that you can’t show them driving dangerously, otherwise you’re promoting hooliganism and unsafe driving. In a world of needless road deaths, that’s not what your company wants.
This Nissan ad, then, seems to violate that sacred rule from jump street. It’s a couple racing against the clock to get to a finish line faster than they had before. Whoops.
I guess on the other hand, however, Nissan has created a somewhat successful ad: we’re talking about it and you’ve probably watched it. [mUmbrella]