VIDEO: UK ad authority restricts "violent" VW ad after logging 1,000+ compliants
Click above to watch VW's banned video after the jump
Remember this Matrix-inspired VW ad that arrived just before the holidays last year? It seems the exaggerated fight scenes were too much for some viewers on the other side of the Pond. The British Advertising Standards Authority received more than 1,000 complaints about the staged violence, with UK residents reportedly fearing that it children may view the sequence and try to copy it.
Statistically, the ad is now the fifth most complained about UK commercial ever. That honor helped it earn a pre-9pm TV ban in the local markets. Volkswagen, obviously a bit frustrated by the ruling, points out that the action seen in the commercial was not "dissimilar to the levels of action seen in many family TV programs." The automaker went on to say the fighting in the ads was "metaphorical rather than real" and that the "exaggerated, cartoon-like sound effects and actions were designed to dispel the gravity of the fighting." Um, that's exactly what we were thinking.
In case you missed it, check out the video re-posted after the jump.
[Source: Guardian News UK]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
gt-racer 7:33PM (4/02/2009)
Bad Ass. Love the rotor to the ankle.
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MikeW 8:13PM (4/02/2009)
and that rotor looks pretty good sized. (closer to 20 than 15lbs)
http://www.worldcarfans.com/3030603.001/largephoto1067/mercedes-benz-slr-mclaren
catgirlshyla 11:39PM (4/02/2009)
And Top Gear can only manage 150 complaints for offending caravan owners and 500 for lorry murdering drivers of prostitutes. The lads have some catching up to do!!
s13hybrid 7:55AM (4/03/2009)
my ankle started to hurt just watching it. Sweet commercial, god bless the internet and its ability to not discrimnate against violent/sexual/inappropriate advertisements.
Kimura 7:49PM (4/02/2009)
Pansies.
Although cool, the commercial itself doesn't really do much to show off the car...it's intended purpose.
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Bayr 8:20AM (4/03/2009)
that sucks... I liked this ad
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urdaddy 7:47PM (4/02/2009)
and all the UKanians talk about Americans being panzies lol only viewable after 9pm wow
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Swede 7:48PM (4/02/2009)
Well they are the #1 nanny state in the world so no suprises there.
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Kym 8:04PM (4/02/2009)
OMG, what were they thinking! As a self-consciously "clever" ad, this scores about a 2 out of 10. The violence could have been handled far more elegantly, and been much shorter, instead of this ham-fisted, boring never-ending sequence. But of course this was designed to be controversial, and to do the YouTube/viral rounds. At least it's consistent with the company, lazy and arrogant, and not worth more than a passing look.
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Rogue_G 8:06PM (4/02/2009)
Welp, we finally got 1000 complaints guys. Pack it up, we're done.
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MikeW 8:24PM (4/02/2009)
Like Jim Carrey said in Liar, Liar.
'I'm kicking my own ass!'
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UCJR 8:41PM (4/02/2009)
To take a page from Family Guy...
"We've had 1000 complaints already! And you all know that one complaint equals a million people. So, we've had one thousand million people upset at this ad!"
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Rev Junkie 8:57PM (4/02/2009)
Oh yeah, that ad needed to be stopped. Next thing you know, all of the kids in Britain will be throwing brake rotors and exhaust systems at their many clones inside of a VW assembly plant. It's a parent's worst nightmare.
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PauloBecker 9:09PM (4/02/2009)
From now on, I'm replacing the phrase "sucker punch to the face" with "sucker rotor to the ankle".
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Chubaka 9:12PM (4/02/2009)
Pathetic...
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Robert 9:18PM (4/02/2009)
Well the most complained about ad in the UK ever was a condom advert that said
"Do not forget the 11th commandment, Thou shalt use a condom"
our ASA are pussies when something gets complained about.
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bombastinator 3:16AM (4/03/2009)
I think people need to start checking the sources of those complaints. I cannot believe real people would be frightened by this. It wouldn't surprise me if the complaints came from the ad agency itself. it's obviously awesome viral.
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Trent 10:00PM (4/02/2009)
that was awesome!
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carbonfib3rz 12:42AM (4/04/2009)
Talk about 1,000+ compliants I Could give you 1,000+ compliants of why it isnt violent... LOL
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Edmond Dantes 10:06PM (4/02/2009)
Oh my gosh I cannot believe this violence this is absolutely absurd how could you possibly show this filth please think of the children think of the children...
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