One of its adverts for a 4×4 SUV was banned in the UK because it was deemed “irresponsible” for the environment, according to a press release from the industry body on Wednesday.
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“Advertising must no longer appear in the form on which the complaint is based,” states the ASA, the UK industry regulator.
The ad showed a group of SUVs driving together into a rocky mountain, kicking up a cloud of dust. Some scenes showed them driving off-road through the mountains or crossing rivers.
The Adfree Cities association had lodged a complaint with the ASA, believing that the advertising in question for the Toyota Hilux SUV model encouraged “environmentally friendly” and “irresponsible” behavior.
“We have asked Toyota’s British subsidiary to ensure that future marketing communications do not contain anything that is likely to promote irresponsible environmental behavior,” the ASA stressed in a press release.
The ASA regularly highlights environmental advertising by transport companies, particularly “greening” and others.
The Adfree Cities association welcomes a victory in a “landmark case” and calls for a “ban on all advertising for SUVs”.
She regretted that the advertisements show dozens of “large SUVs powered by diesel,” a very polluting fuel, “driving off-road through natural environments.”
Toyota had reasoned that the large number of cars featured in the ad conjured up hordes of wild animals in a way that was “fantastical and not intended to represent real-life driving.”