BMW xDrive Advert BANNED by ASA after ONE complaint (video)

The Advertising Standards Authority has banned a BMW iDrive video advert for promoting dangerous driving after a single complaint.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has yet again flexed its nanny state muscles by banning an advert for BMW xDrive after a single complaint that it promoted dangerous driving. That’s a single complaint on a video probably seen by almost 10 million people.

It’s not the first time the ASA has made itself look daft with BMW promotions, having slapped BMW for an i3 advert and banned another for the 760iL xDrive. But this ruling takes the biscuit.

The video advert shows a number of different BMW models with xDrive strutting their stuff and demonstrating the additional grip the 4WD xDrive system offers, and the complaint was made about an X5 momentarily losing traction in an off-road situation (the image above).

The ASA decreed that the fast-moving advert, Blur soundtrack, the on-screen ‘Get Out There’ text and the voice-over stating “Remember when everything was for the sheer pleasure of doing it” created the impression that using BMWs with xDrive was exciting and challenging. Which, according to the ASA, is wrong.

The ASA ruling said:

Because the demonstration of the capability of the xDrive system condoned faster, dangerous and irresponsible driving, and was presented in the context of excitement, we concluded that the ad breached the Code.

BMW has been told the advert must not be show again in its current form, future adverts must not condone dangerous or irresponsible driving and BMW could not demonstrate handling in the context of excitement. 

Fortunately, The Netherlands has no issue with the advert, so judge for yourself in the same video below from BMW in Holland.

BMW xDrive BANNED Advert Video