An ad campaign for Mitsubishi that aired on Australian TV was found to have breached a voluntary industry code prohibiting ads featuring competitive motor racing. Australia s Advertising Standards Bureau, which oversees Australia's policy of self-regulation among advertisers, found that the automaker was in violation of standards by showing its Magna model in a race with two other vehicles on a dirt road. A description of the actual rule is listed on the Bureau's Web site:
Advertisers should ensure that advertisements do not depict, encourage or condone dangerous, illegal, aggressive or reckless driving. Moreover, advertisers need to be mindful that excessive speed is a major cause of death and injury in road crashes and accordingly should avoid explicitly or implicitly drawing attention to the acceleration or speed capabilities of a vehicle.
Crikey!
The Bureau s code of practice for vehicle advertising can be found here in its entirety.
Australia's Advertising Standards Bureau