O National Council for Advertising SelfRegulation (Conar) opened an ethical process to investigate this Volkswagen advert using Elis Regina’s imagereconstructed by artificial intelligence and singing along with her daughter Maria Rita.
According to a statement from Conar, the investigation, launched on Monday 10th, is being conducted following complaints from consumers asking “whether it is ethical to use a technological tool and artificial intelligence (AI) to commemorate a deceased person.” fetch.” “Back to life. Life as realized in the campaign”. Elis Regina died in 1982 at the age of 36.
Advertising
The car manufacturer and the advertising agency AlmapBBDO used the socalled deepfake technique for the commercials, which consists of exchanging faces and synchronizing movements and facial expressions.
“Furthermore, the possibility of such use creates confusion between fiction and reality for some people, especially children and adolescents,” Conar explained.
The Council said it would consider the complaint against the advertising based on the Brazilian Code of Advertising SelfRegulation and the principles contained in the regulations such as “seriousness, in this case respect for the personality and existence of the artist and truthfulness”. “.
The judgment of the representative must be made within 45 days, whereby the advertiser and the agency have the right of defense.
The Volkswagen commercial starring singer Elis Regina promotes the brand’s 70th anniversary in Brazil.
Read Conar’s note in full
Conar opened today, July 10th, an ethical representation against the campaign “VW Brasil 70: The new came back”, the responsibility of VW do Brasil and its agency AlmapBBDO, motivated by consumer complaints.
They question whether it is ethical to use a technological tool and artificial intelligence (AI) to bring a deceased person back to life, as is being done in the campaign, which is being investigated in light of Brazil’s Advertising SelfRegulation Law should in particular respect the principles of seriousness, in this case respect for the personality and existence of the artist, and truthfulness.
In addition, the possibility is questioned that such use could lead to confusion between fiction and reality in some people, especially children and adolescents.
The representation will be evaluated by a Conar ethics committee over the coming weeks, guaranteeing the advertiser and its agency the right to a defense. As a rule, the verdict is announced about 45 days after the opening of the representation.
Conar accepts consumer complaints and other comments about the promotional item, provided they are identified. In accordance with the LGPD, the identity of whistleblowers is protected.