Toyota SUV advert banned for 'disregarding' impact of vehicles being pictured driving on environment
A Toyota SUV advert has been banned by the regulator for condoning pickups being driven in a way that "disregarded" their impact on the environment.
The campaign group Adfree Cities, which had filed the complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), said the ruling was the first of its kind to ban an SUV advert for the way it shows "off-road driving in natural habitats, a common theme in SUV advertising".
Toyota's Hilux sports utility vehicle TV advert showed a "swarm" of large vehicles driving at speed through off-road terrain, "causing dust to rise", the ASA said.
The voiceover said "one of nature's true spectacles" and "Toyota Hilux. Born to Roam". A similar static version appeared on a poster.
Toyota had argued in its response to the complaint that it believed the advert "would not be interpreted as encouraging or excusing driving behaviour that was negative to the environment".
It said the Hilux model was designed for the "toughest environments", and certain industries such as farmers, forestry workers and park rangers, which had a genuine need for off-road.
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The ASA said "those scenarios were not represented in the ad".
The messaging in both ads was "one of driving regardless of its purpose, across off-road environments and natural ecosystems which had no regard for the environmental impact of such driving", it said.
A Toyota spokesperson said the company "does not condone behaviour that is harmful to the environment" and it has been "one of the leaders in the automotive field in terms of carbon emissions reduction across its vehicle offering".
They added: "Toyota caters for customers who require a mobility option for reliable use in the harshest of terrains - those people who operate in off-road and remote settings.
"The vehicle footage in this instance was obtained in a non-UK location, on private land, with all necessary permissions, in a non-ecologically sensitive environment. The static image used in the display ad was CGI, having no environmental impact on that land."
Veronica Wignall, co-director at Adfree Cities, said: "These adverts epitomise Toyota's total disregard for nature and the climate, by featuring enormous, highly-polluting vehicles driving at speed through rivers and wild grasslands.
"More and more SUVs are being sold on a false promise of rugged adventure, exploiting imagery of the natural world. In reality, SUVs are harming nature, polluting our air, clogging up our cities and causing tragic loss of life. This ruling is welcome but regulation of SUV adverts is not enough; the promotion of SUVs should be terminated altogether."
