Posted on 03/08/2006 1:16:27 AM PST by beaversmom
Advertising regulators have dismissed complaints that a TV campaign for a Ford Land Rover was racist and also showed behaviour harmful to the environment.
The ad for the Land Rover Discovery 3 showed an Inuit Eskimo driving a sled pulled by huskies but being distracted by the vehicle pulling alongside and losing control of his dog team. It was created by Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Young & Rubicam.
The Advertising Standards Authority received 71 complaints that the ad was racist and denigrated Inuit culture and 60 complaints that it showed behaviour harmful to the environment. The viewers considered such vehicles contributed significantly to global warming. Banner Ad
However, the ASA said that it believes most viewers would find the ad humorous and that it did not consider the Inuit mocked because of his race or because of his means of transport.
The ad was originally cleared by the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre. It interpreted the focus of the ad as the ability of the Discovery 3 to cope with the harsh terrain compared to the sled.
Regarding the concerns about the environment, the ASA said that it considered the ad was set in the Arctic to show the kind of terrain with which it could cope and added: We did not consider the fantastical scenario would be seen by the majority of viewers as condoning behaviour that would be prejudicial to that environment. at no point in the ad did it claim the Discovery was environmentally friendly.
The ASA has slammed a press ad by Diesel that appeared in The Sunday Times Style magazine for suggesting sexual behaviour and appearing in a magazine that might be seen by children.
The ad showed a naked man from the rear with three pairs of womens legs straddling his body. Diesel maintained that the Style Magazine had an adult readership that would understand the irony and fun it presented.
Oops, link should read mad.co.uk
I wouldn't dignify this crap with a response.
L
How the hell can you be environmentally unfriendly to snow???
"Wont someone PLEASE! think of the children!"
No kidding! These fools need to be completely ignored. Besides, I seriously doubt 71 different people complained. No way, but who cares anyway?
Hmmm... "Centre" spelled in that goofy Euro style.
This crap is Canada, right?
L
70 complaints and not a one of them from an Eskimo.
Ahem! That is Inuit-Yipik-Aleut-American! Have to be PC.
Why would that be racist? For crying out loud!
No such thing as bad publicity, besides those complaining wouldn't buy it anyway.
'Hmmm... "Centre" spelled in that goofy Euro style.
This crap is Canada, right?'
LOL! No, it's from England - it's a little island off france that you graciously allowed to use the American language, but we changed a few spellings to piss you off. . . .
I am certain that every Inuit in the UK was deeply offended.
That would be zero Inuits... right?
Anyway, if the environmentally unfriendly SUVs would get on with it, we wouldn't have to contend with all that snow, and people could drive Chevy Aveos to the Great White North...
I thought Canada too when I saw that part about the ad portraying activity "harmful to the environment". What a load.
But the fact that it's England's Ministry of Love doesn't surprise me in the least.
It's the Advertising Standards Authority who threw the complaint out - an independent TV watchdog.
Clearly there are at least 70 people in the UK who have read all that anti-SUV nonsense going on in the US and thought they'd jump on the band-wagon. The irony of the story is that the Land Rover in question had the latest 2.7l twin-turbo diesel engine fitted which is ultra-green returning 30mpg and tiny emissions in a three ton car. . .
Wish we could get engines like that here :-(
Who the heck-fire is Diesel?
I hate it when I'm reading along and someone suddenly
appears without an explanation who he is.
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