Ad description
A TV ad for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta featured scenes of a classic Alfa Romeo and a new Alfa Romeo Giulietta driving separately along a public road. One scene showed the Giulietta approaching the classic car from behind and overtaking it.
Issue
The complainant, who believed the ad depicted a car overtaking on a blind bend, challenged whether it condoned dangerous driving.
Response
Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd t/a Alfa Romeo said the vehicles were shown separately driving through hilly country on a single carriageway road with clear road markings, including markings regulating overtaking. They said the bend on which the contemporary car overtook the classic car was not a blind bend, and that the road markings allowed for overtaking at that point. The overtaking car indicated during the manoeuvre, which formed only a brief shot in a longer ad. They considered the manoeuvre was legal and safe.
Clearcast considered the footage showed the car overtaking out of the bend, as the road straightened, and that therefore the driver would have been able to see ahead as they overtook. They considered the manoeuvre was therefore not dangerous and that the ad did not condone dangerous driving.
Assessment
Not upheld
The ASA noted that the ad briefly depicted one car overtaking the other immediately after a bend, which could be seen in the background. The road ahead of the drivers could not be seen and the road markings allowed for overtaking at the point the manoeuvre was performed, so there was no reason to suppose that the driver of the modern Alfa Romeo did not have a full, clear view of the road ahead. We did not consider the brief shot of the overtaking manoeuvre would be seen as condoning or encouraging dangerous driving, and therefore concluded that the ad had not breached the Code.
We investigated the ad under BCAP Code rules 1.2 1.2 Advertisements must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to the audience and to society. (Responsible advertising) and 20.1 20.1 Advertisements must not condone or encourage dangerous, competitive, inconsiderate or irresponsible driving or motorcycling. Advertisements must not suggest that driving or motorcycling safely is staid or boring. (Motoring), but did not find it in breach.
Action
No further action necessary.
