Toyota and agency The&Partnership have been ticked off by the UK’s ASA for ads featuring SUVs as a herd of roaming animals, stampeding from the countryside to the city (paraphrasing a bit here.)
The ASA agreed that the ads showed the cars in a “manner that disregarded their impact on nature and the environment.” Toyota said the ad was aimed at farmers and the like who needed all-terrain vehicles – although the guy in the ad doesn’t look much like a farmer.
That’s bad enough but, these days, single issue groups are inclined to latch on to any such infractions and two such, Adfree Cities and Badvertising along with other climate, anti-pollution and safety groups, are planning to demonstrate today (22 November 22) outside the The&Partnership’s London’s office.
Havas faced a similar demonstration when it took on oil giant Shell’s media business last month.
So we’ll presumably have T&P CEO Sarah Golding nervously surveying Gresse Street like Davy Crockett at the Alamo while T&P founder/chairman Johnny Hornby assembles the cavalry down in Sussex to ride to her rescue.
Not so funny old world if you’re an agency..
