Ford wants New Zealand safety ad pulled
Safety campaigners and law makers in New Zealand have consistently complained about car ads showing any sense of speed and have since had them banned. Now the tables have turned with Ford reportedly unhappy over the latest anti-speeding ad from Land Transport New Zealand (LTNZ) because of the way it portrays one of its new cars.
The $2 million television ads shows a late-model Ford Falcon XR6 (pictured) sliding out of control and ending up in a ditch, and, according to a Blue Oval spokesperson, the ad breaches an agreement between the automakers and the LTNZ, which stipulates the make and model of cars in road safety ads are to be concealed.
The LTNZ is standing by its ad, claiming it doesn't breach any rules because the car's badging is gone, and expects it to air for the next 18 months. Fortunately for Ford, a new version of the Falcon is due to go on sale early next year.
[Source: The Age]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
WolfgangNC 12:39PM (9/18/2007)
Not to say these are good or bad; but do these ads really prevent reckless driving and speeding? I mean certain people drive crazy; but others drive too conservative and seen wrecks from these actions. I fear that many of these people like the LTNZ have a goal of making driving not fun. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for driving safe; but safe doesn't mean driving has to be a drag.
As for the Ford situation, go get 'em Ford.
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DelayedZ 12:46PM (9/18/2007)
I hope Ford nukes em, lol, that is an easily recognizable car and if I were Ford I'd be pissed also. Why don't they go pick some old ass random POS rather then a car that is well known.
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Mike 1:04PM (9/18/2007)
Agreed. Take the ovals off a Taurus and: WOW! Where did the Taurus go? I have no idea what kinda car that is right there?!
LTNZ better get the checkbook out.
ElDiablo 7:44AM (9/19/2007)
I wonder if the LTNZ are fooled by Clarke Kent's Glasses. Someone should perhaps point out to them that he's really superman!
Tio 12:54PM (9/18/2007)
How many car's does Ford sell in NZ? Just pull out. Sounds as if the NZ government would rather walk anyway
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Icon149 1:17PM (9/18/2007)
New Zealand is quite affluent, yeah it's not big, but still every car sold is going to come with a nice margin. and they are already building them nearby. pulling out would be... universally stupid.
sydbot 1:20PM (9/18/2007)
When I was there, it seemed as though every fifth car was either a Falcon, Mondeo, or Territory. So I'd say they do a fair bit of business there.
felipe 1:22PM (9/18/2007)
that should be fords NASCAR car.
any publicity is good publicity and
Ford needs to do a 'counter punch' commercial and dup the LTNZ.
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Ben H. 1:30PM (9/18/2007)
Why don't organizations like LTNZ provide a solution instead of just bashing? How about a Driver Education course? (DE) You'd think for $2 million, they'd have better spent money in courses like this.
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PiCASSO 2:08PM (9/18/2007)
Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTJgTYWEnsE
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PiCASSO 2:21PM (9/18/2007)
And a few others which are pretty convincing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9nhE1SJ9Bs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgrTXGt7eMQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGDe2dkOJDo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF6Kl0XYEIk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azqc4i7fAC4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amQsPnWFwzE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdjO0ZK-aKM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Bt_ad_6ojk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11SSd9Xi5mg
Non-vehicle related LTNZ video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypj_ppqo9Ag
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joe 3:26PM (9/18/2007)
That car looks a lot better than most fords offered in the states. Why don't we get it here?
And, that commercial rocks. I wish they would do something like that here in southern california where people drive like morons, tail people in the slow lanes with less than a couple feet of space, driving over 90 when passing in the right-most lanes, etc. If you want to drive dangerously, do it on a track, not behind my trunk in your oversized Truck/SUV.
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g8or8de 5:43AM (9/21/2007)
The ad actually looks like a car advertisement... until you see it go out of control..
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