Advertising Standards Authority in the United Kingdom stated that the advertisement exaggerated the safety benefits.
Six people complained about the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) claiming that the advertisements encouraged dangerous driving and exaggerated the safety features of the vehicle. Volkswagen denied the claims and argued that the commercial did not encourage dangerous, competitive, irresponsible or inconsiderate driving . German company said the driver was “clumsy,” unlucky, and accident-prone. It added that this was evident through “comically exaggerated scenes.”
VW also stated that safety technology advertisements such as the one in the ad would not be possible without showing potentially dangerous situations. The firm has liaised closely with regulators to ensure safety technology was shown in an “exact and responsible” manner. The ASA disagreed with VW’s claims and ruled that VW’s advert depicted dangerous situations and onboard technology, implying that VW relied on safety features to help irresponsible drivers. The ASA released the following statement: “We concluded the dependence on the advanced safety system exaggerated vehicle’s safety features, and the overall tone in the ad encouraged irresponsible and violated the Code.” “The ads should not be in their current form. Volkswagen was asked not to encourage reckless driving by exaggerating safety features.