David Coulthard car insurance ad banned for encouraging 'reckless driving'

A TV ad for car insurance starring former F1 star David Coulthard has been banned
A TV ad for car insurance starring former F1 star David Coulthard has been banned Credit:  

A car insurance advert which starred David Coulthard as a rogue taxi driver who shocked passengers with his bad motoring has been banned for encouraging "reckless driving".

The former Formula One driver appeared in the advert for Aviva Insurance in disguise as a taxi driver who bewilders his unwitting passengers with an array of appalling driving habits.

He picks up two passengers and after asking for their destination, starts the car in a rapid reverse, before bounding across a roundabout and zooming round a corner with two wheels off the ground.

Coulthard was shown driving a silver Mercedes for a made-up firm called 'Dent Cabs'
Coulthard was shown driving a silver Mercedes for a made-up firm called 'Dent Cabs' Credit:  

The customers are then shocked as their driver demands payment for the hair-raising ride, before his real identity is revealed.

The stunt was created to convey the message that "no-one should have to pay for other people’s bad driving" to promote the Aviva Drive mobile app, which monitors a driver’s journeys and allows the safest drivers to save an average of £170 on their insurance.

However a total of 58 people complained to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after the advert was first broadcast on television in January.

Coulthard speeds off in reverse, with tyres screeching as he does a handbrake turn - with the couple in the back caught on a hidden camera looking terrified
Coulthard speeds off in reverse, with tyres screeching as he does a handbrake turn - with the couple in the back caught on a hidden camera looking terrified Credit:  

The watchdog conducted an investigation and have now banned the advert after ruling it encouraged "reckless driving".

In a written ruling, the ASA said: "These scenes were fast-paced with quick acceleration, braking and skidding accompanied with sound effects, and along with the passengers’ reactions whilst inside the car, we considered contributed to the depiction of the car travelling at an excessive speed."

Because of those scenes we considered that the ad primarily focused on the high speed and stunts performed by the car, which consequently overshadowed the “warning” and “experiment” on-screen texts that appeared at the start of the ad along with the ad’s underlying message that safe drivers could benefit from a saving with AVIVA’s car insurance.

Former F1 driver David Coulthard
Former F1 driver David Coulthard Credit: Andrew Hone/Getty Images

"Furthermore, the manner in which the car was driven was extremely reckless and given it was performed in a regular vehicle and on public roads whilst showing other vehicles to be in motion, were scenes that could potentially be emulated by viewers, putting themselves and others at a significant risk of danger by driving hazardously and in an irresponsible manner.

"Because of that, we considered that the ad had featured reckless driving behaviour on public roads and therefore concluded that ad encouraged dangerous and irresponsible driving.

"The ad must not appear again in its current form. We told Aviva UK Digital Ltd that their advertising must not encourage dangerous and irresponsible driving."

In its response to the ASA, Aviva stated that the advert was part of a broader campaign driven out of a social purpose to help make Britain’s roads safer.

The firm said "the stunts performed by David Coulthard were not intended to encourage or condone dangerous and irresponsible driving, but to denounce and discourage it".

The 60-second ad featured on-screen text that stated: "WARNING Conducted under a controlled environment. Do not attempt to recreate."

Aviva also produced further campaign material to support that, including a behind-the-scenes film showing Coulthard explaining that there was a place for the kind of driving depicted in the ads, but that place was not on public roads.

A spokeswoman for Aviva said: "It’s always our intention to comply with advertising guidelines so we’re disappointed by the ASA’s ruling, but we will, of course, abide by the ASA’s decision. The advert has not been shown since June 2017 and it won’t be aired again.

"We wanted to produce an advert which presented this idea in a completely different way, but still stayed true to the principles of safer driving by encouraging people to use our app which monitors their driving skills and rewards safer motorists.

"However, we appreciate that some viewers felt the advert may have sent out the wrong message.

"We are absolutely committed to helping make Britain’s roads safer and we will continue to develop new initiatives with this goal in mind."

 

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