Ads for Ford, Nissan And Fiat Chrysler Banned For Encouraging Reckless Driving

You can see one of the ads at the bottom of the page. According to The Telegraph, it was the combination of the classic Dylan Thomas poem “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” in voiceover with the images of angry men apparently venting their frustrations while driving that led to the complaints. In other words, you can use any of the cars Ford makes to deal with your anger by driving at reckless speeds – or, at least, that was the message some viewers got.

The Ford ad ran on YouTube but also in theaters and on TV. Because the ASA upheld the complaints, it won’t be shown again on UK territory in its current form.

“We therefore considered that the ads suggested that driving was a way of releasing anger, which put the driver, other motorists and pedestrians at risk,” the ASA says in its ruling.

In response, Ford says that this wasn’t the message they were trying to deliver. “Our intent is never to encourage unsafe driving and, while care was taken during filming of the ad to show the car driving safely and at no point exceeding 15mph, we will no longer include the ad in our future marketing communications,” a statement from the company reads, as per the same publication.

Two more ads were also banned: one for Nissan and one for Fiat Chrysler. Both were deemed to encourage reckless driving and speeding, following complaints from viewers, filed with the ASA.

Both carmakers have responded to the ruling, with Fiat Chrysler saying the ad was meant to highlight “inventiveness and creativity rather than competitiveness,” and Nissan explaining that it was “aimed to demonstrate the intelligent technology and safety features of the Micra car.”

Regardless of their explanations, the ASA ruling stands.