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Ogilvy & Mather is writing to the Independent Television Commission

to dispute the decision to ban one of its latest ads for the Ford

Fiesta.

The Fiesta work, ’0-60’, which was shortlisted at Cannes this year, will

have to be withdrawn along with BMP DDB’s ad for the Volkswagen Passat,

after the ITC banned both in its latest Television Advertising

Complaints report. The ITC prefaces the report with a ’comment’ on

standards in car advertising, in which it warns of its intention to

clamp down on advertising that ’could be seen as condoning irresponsible

driving’.

ITC policy stipulates that all television ads showing driving on what

appears to be a public road must comply with the Highway Code and that

ads for cars should not emphasise speed, power or acceleration.

The Fiesta ad shows a baby ageing to become an old man in ten seconds,

with a strapline that reads: ’The Fiesta 1.4 does 0-60 in 10.8 seconds.’

It did not attract any complaints from viewers.

Leon Jaume, the creative director on Ford, said of the ITC ruling: ’It’s

sanctimonious bollocks. The Fiesta ad was researched, pre-vetted by the

BACC and received no complaints from viewers. We don’t feel that we have

contravened the wording of the ITC code.’

BMP’s Passat ad, which shows a driver speeding around a test circuit in

a Passat, drew similar criticism. Although the off-road setting of the

commercial was signposted, the ITC felt it implied that the Passat could

be safely pushed to the limits in city streets. It attracted 43

complaints.

Jorian Murray, the board account director for VW at BMP, said the

commercial had been researched extensively before and after it went on

air, adding: ’In every case, respondents talked about the safety aspects

of the Passat.’

Volkswagen also attracted censure for its Polo ad, which showed people

curled up to protect themselves in times of danger, for its use of

disturbing material involving violence and human suffering.

The ad had been cleared by the Broadcast Advertising Copy Clearance

centre for showing after 9pm. But the ITC decided to uphold the

complaints, while reiterating its position on such issues to the

BACC.

Perspective, page 10.