# Off topic - Audi R8 commercial banned in the UK?



## SwissJetPilot (Apr 27, 2014)

Sorry for the non-TT question but is this actually true??

"Audi's advert for its R8 supercar has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the organisation received just one complaint from a viewer."

You Brits have got to be kidding, right?? I mean okay, I get Brexit, but banning an R8 advertisement? Seriously?

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/audi-r8-adver ... 41813.html


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## andez1781 (May 27, 2015)

Seriously!!! I've seen the advert on the television and didn't realise that it had been banned . But come to mention that I haven't seen it in a while. Absolute joke . R8 ads are always awsome, like the one on the rolling road :twisted: .


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## Toshiba (Jul 8, 2004)

Ive seen the advert in the last week or so..


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## Graham'sTT (Dec 6, 2014)

Usual bo11ox from the increasingly nanny-like state we live in here.


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## Richings (Feb 18, 2014)

Most likely a complaint by an old man or women who can't afford one, hates fast cars, hears the noise outside their window every night, hates cars full stop, hates young drivers, hates motorways.... I could go on.

This country (England) has got very sensitive over the years (POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD) and it does not surprise me this has happened actually. What I am surprised about is that it only took 1 Person? Thought it was meant to be a certain amount for a discussion to take place?

Top Gear got many complaints almost every episode and it still aired for centuries!! [smiley=bomb.gif]


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## Beano91 (May 31, 2016)

Unfortunately the way we work in the UK is that if something mildly offends one person then it has to be banned.


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## YELLOW_TT (Feb 25, 2004)

Boils my pi$$ more PC BS :evil:


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

It's nothing to do with whether or not it offends people and the number of complaints is irrelevant. If the ASA receive one or a million complaints about an advert, they must investigate it - if the investigation then finds the ad breaks the rules then it doesn't really matter how many complaints triggered that investigation.

Whether or not you agree with the ASA rules on car ads, or whether you agree this ad fell foul of those rules, is a different matter.


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## John-H (Jul 13, 2005)

If the brakes were that good shouldn't it have shown bulging of the eyeball with increased bloodshot? I'm sure mine went like that.


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## les (Jul 24, 2006)

Richings said:


> Most likely a complaint by an old man or women who can't afford one, hates fast cars, hears the noise outside their window every night, hates cars full stop, hates young drivers, hates motorways.... I could go on.
> [smiley=bomb.gif]


REALLY?
You're avin a giraffe ain't ya :lol: 
How about some young lad on minimum wage can't get the bed off his back, eats junk food, wears hoodies, expensive trainers and downloading dance, R&B and garage noise. He will also have form for stealing cars and drug offences. Sounds familiar. :wink: 
BTW it's the over 50s who are most likely yo be able to afford a supper car.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/com ... 09851.html


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

What a load of Sh**, :evil:

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/one-pathetic-complaint-got-this-amazing-audi-r8-advert-banned/

By that logic we should never see a motorsport advertisement again.

Idiot. F***ing Idiots.


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

NickG said:


> By that logic we should never see a motorsport advertisement again.


The rules don't apply to motorsport advertisments. Only motoring products (including cars themselves).

To be honest, Audi tried it on with this ad and got caught. There have been rules about showing 'fast' driving in car ads for years - showing that kind of driving reflected in the drivers eye was a pretty flimsy attempt at finding a loophole.

I just can't get outraged at this ban. Like I said, these rules have been in place for years and manufacturers have learned to live within them (and have had adverts banned plenty of times) - it's just a game to them and they'll still plaster it all over the internet (the rules apply to broadcast only) so they'll get their monies worth out of it. Not to mention all the publicity they'll get from getting 'banned'.


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## ZephyR2 (Feb 20, 2013)

Got to say I agree with spandex. It's a game to them seeing how far they can push boundaries. 
Being banned just adds a certain mystique to the ad and its product and draws attention. Which can only be good for sales.


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

You're both missing the point though. The rules themselves are ridiculous, people aren't so stupid that they see a car driving fast in an advert and hence have to drive fast themselves... It's a choice, if they choose to be a tit and speed then the consequence is soley on them. Not any car manufacturer.

Let's say a chainsaw manufacturer put up an advert that shows how easy it is to decaptitate ones self using their chainsaw, how many people are going to imitate that? (Hopefully whoever would imitate that, does so and we can get rid of some idiots from this planet). It's a question of people taking responsibility for their own actions ffs.

The fact that we can't see an R8 doing what an R8 does best annoys the hell out of me.


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## Shug750S (Feb 6, 2012)

They'll be banning James Bond and any films with guns soon, as that could encourage people to go out and shoot someone.

Does seem stupid, as surely for most people who would buy the R8 the performance is a factor.

BTW the reflections in his eye looked faster than 30 mph, but that's not the point.

Would be funny if Audi did another advert just showing the car parked, and the voiceover said we can't tell you how fast it goes because we'd get banned :lol:


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

NickG said:


> You're both missing the point though.


No, I understand your point, but I was addressing the other points.

That being said, I don't really agree with your point. Advertising *does* influence people - that's the whole point of it - and that's why there needs to be rules on what they can and can't show. The rules (you've read them, yes?) are pretty restrictive but that's the nature of these things - flexibility leaves loopholes. Maybe they could relax them a bit, but then car companies would just push the boundaries of the new rules and some ads would get banned again. And advert lovers will moan again.

Anyway, this wasn't an R8 advert - no one advertises supercars on TV. This was an ad for Audi's brand and the R8 is the most memorable car in their range right now. They don't need to show how well it performs, or handles, or what cool options it has, because they're not selling it.


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Spandex said:


> NickG said:
> 
> 
> > You're both missing the point though.
> ...


Anyone who is influenced by an Advert to speed needs their head looking into. Let's ban McDonald's adverts because people get fat too. People do what they want to do, a weak person is influenced to do something they no they shouldn't, just because it's in an advert.

I also disagree that it's not an advert for an R8, i can definitely appreciate that it has an element of brand marketing also but for me it's all about the R8...










Technical details of the car convince me of that.

I don't know the rules, I haven't read the rules, but any rule that bans an advert such as that needs to go. It's just my opinion, but making rules like that because of the few idiots out there, really grinds my gears.


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## Shug750S (Feb 6, 2012)

Sometimes advertising makes people stop buying a product.

A few years ago there was a breakfast cereal (sugar puffs?) who did an ad featuring their monster in a Newcastle Utd kit. Pretty sure sales in Sunderland and other areas outside of the North East died off.

I used to use Nivea shaving foam, then they started featuring Liverpool players in their ads. Stopped buying it immediately, as didn't want overpaid footballers getting more cash from a product I used already.


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## Spandex (Feb 20, 2009)

NickG said:


> Anyone who is influenced by an Advert to speed needs their head looking into.


It's not that simple (as I'm sure you know really). No one is suggesting that someone watches something on tv then feels compelled to imitate it. But if something is shown often enough it becomes normalised and I don't think it's particularly controversial for an advertising regulator not to want to allow the normalisation of speeding in adverts.



NickG said:


> I also disagree that it's not an advert for an R8, i can definitely appreciate that it has an element of brand marketing also but for me it's all about the R8...
> 
> Technical details of the car convince me of that.


I was going to say you need to stop taking everything at face value, except even at face value that's clearly not an R8 advert. Look at any actual car advert and they describe in small print the details of the options or packages on the cars shown. They also say how much it costs. Basically, they try to sell the actual car. They don't finish with a screen that just says "the all new Nissan Micra with CD changer".


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## NickG (Aug 15, 2013)

Hmm. Ok. Well I feel I speak for 99.99999% of the population who would agree that this particular advert in no way should have been banned.

I'll feed you another example of one which also should be ok...


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## rustyintegrale (Oct 1, 2006)

Unbelievable...

But share to your hearts content. We shall not be brow-beaten by a nanny state...


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## Jimmyptt (Aug 19, 2016)

Welcome to the NANNY STATE!! :evil:


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