Toyota pickup ad banned… for advocating off-road use – Observer

To attract customers to the Hilux pick-up, Toyota sometimes invests in communications to draw attention to its potential as a work vehicle with a large load capacity, while on other occasions it focuses on more sophisticated and better-equipped versions, targeting customers who are also looking for a 4×4 vehicle with good performance on Off-road and intended for recreational activities. The Japanese manufacturer’s latest announcement specifically aligns with this latest strategy, but has been blocked by the regulatory entity.

This case occurred in the United Kingdom, following a decision by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), the government body that governs everything related to advertising. In recent days, Toyota has released the film that you can see below, in which a large group of Hilux pickup trucks are shown roaming through nature, crossing small waterways and showing a certain ease on dirt roads before returning to the asphalt and home. . You can still hear Voice over Mention “A True Nature Spectacle”, and finally “Toyota Hilux”. “Born to wander,” an expression that can mean “born to wander” or “born to travel without a destination.”

If the ad pleases TT fans and even those less adventurous, due to the beautiful images it reveals, the ASA considered that “the ad encourages the use of vehicles without regard to their impact on nature or the environment.” Toyota defended the video and poster that allude to the same topic, noting that the photos were taken on private land in Slovenia, with permission from the owner, but the ASA was not deterred by anything.

Do the authorities think customers need advertising to remind them why they choose Jeeps and SUVs, which are high-off-road vehicles equipped with specific tires for smooth driving over rocks, snow or mud? Or do they think that by banning this ad and others like it, Britons would suddenly stop hunting, fishing or recreational activities such as paragliding and climbing, sending them traveling at weekends up or down mountains, as the case may be? The next step may be to ban films and books that talk about adventures and trips to far away places.