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Harmful - Mini
WCRS

Issue

A total of 40 viewers complained about an advertisement which used bizarre and surreal imagery to sell the Mini car. It began with the following mock-warning text and voiceover:

"This commercial for Mini contains scenes of extreme violence and has nudity from the very beginning. Viewers of a nervous disposition are asked to look away... now."

The advertisement then showed a middle-aged couple slapping a pedestrian on the back of the head with a large dead fish as they drove past him. All three characters were naked, but seen only from behind or from the neck or chest area upwards.

Although some complainants mentioned the nudity, most were concerned with the slap, which they thought might influence motorists to behave violently towards other road users. Five viewers complained about the scheduling of the advertising in breaks during Wall of Silence, a factual drama shown on Channel 3 dealing with a violent and fatal assault on a teenager.

Response

The Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre had imposed an 'ex kids' restriction because of the mild violence and nudity, although that was not directly relevant to the issues that the complainants raised. While we accept there was no obvious justification in the advertisement for the slap, we believe it was sufficiently ridiculous and improbable to be copied. We did not think that there was a sufficient link between the advertisement and the surrounding Channel 3 drama to justify a scheduling restriction.

Decision

There was no breach of the Advertising Standards Code.

Conclusion

No further action

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