An advert for the Audi R8 supercar has been banned in Britain by the Advertising Standard Authority after the organisation received a single complaint from a viewer.
The Audi R8 advert, first shown on TV back in April and broadcast numerous times since, is one of several videos made to promote the German supercar.
In the advert, a close-up of a driver’s eyeball is shown contracting and dilating while the R8 is heard accelerating through its gears. The car is then shown going around a corner in a tunnel in slow motion, before the ad returns to another shot of the eye.
Audi and ASA respond to complaint
Text then appears reading: “More focus, more drive. The all new Audi R8 V10 Plus with carbon ceramic brakes” before the final shot is shown of the R8 braking to a halt on a racetrack.
It’s been revealed that one person complained to the ASA claiming the ad linked speed with excitement, therefore making it irresponsible.
In response to the complaint, Audi said: “The main message of the ad was that the new R8 was Audi’s most focused drive yet, with key features tuned to improve performance and an all-round improved driving experience.”
But the ASA upheld the single complaint, ruling that the contraction and dilation of the pupil “gave an implication of speed and acceleration”, and that it was unclear how fast the car was travelling. The organisation added that they “did not consider that the presentation of information about the ceramic brakes constituted a context of safety.”
Concluding that the ad linked speed with excitement, the ASA has ruled the ad must not be shown again, and that Audi’s owners, Volkswagen Group, should avoid similar depictions in future adverts.
Do you think it was right to ban this Audi R8 advert? You can judge for yourself by watching a video of the banned ad below:
