BMW’s art of hooning – watchdog bans ad!
June 29, 2009 by David Twomey
BMW has ended up in hot water over its latest artistic endeavours after Australia’s advertising watchdog deemed its TV ad showing a Z4 sport car creating a painting could encourage hoon driving.
The standards authority outlawed the ad for the new BMW Z4 Roadster because the driving stunts shown would break Australian road laws if they were performed on a public road.
The TV and print ad campaign features the Z4 creating a giant artwork in a warehouse by driving with painted tyres, and includes the vehicle spinning its wheels and skidding.
It was the work of artist Robin Rhode and famed Hollywood film director Ridley Scott’s son, Jake.
The ad, which has been shown around the world, was banned on the basis that it depicted illegal driving, after viewers complained to the Advertising Standards Bureau that it “would encourage car hoons to spin and burn their tyres.”
The bureau said in its judgement that “ the board noted that the advertisement does depict in a number of places the driver intentionally allowing the wheels of the car to lose traction and perform . . . a four-wheel drift.”
BMW defended the advertisement as art and said, “We believe the audience can distinguish between fantasy and reality.”
BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski told CarAdvice the company accepted the decision but believed it could have successfully appealed.
“It is a bit of a case of a piece of art and the freedom of art being thwarted by Victoria’s anti-hoon laws,” he said.
He said the artwork had been cut into pieces after it was created and distributed around the world, including Australia where four pieces of it hang in the entrance foyer to the BMW Australia headquarters.
“It is a shame that artistic expression would be caught by a quirk in the legislation. Safety is important to us, and we have agreed not to appeal.”
Mr Andreevski said the company was disappointed it had been branded for hoon driving, especially as it operated one of the longest-running driver training schemes in Australia and had been responsible for improving the driving standards of thousands of motorists.
Tell us what you think, and take a look at the advertisement here:
http://www.bmw.com.au/com/en/newvehicles/z4/z4/2009/introduction.html
Print it: 
This is ridiculous as it means all forms of motor sports should be banned cos they would encourage unsafe, aggressive driving and speeding etc…
Standard issue padded room with every Australian citizenship test passed!
Unfortunately, I think it is too late – I just drove past my local abandoned warehouse with the huge blank canvas floor and the impressionable (no pun intended) hoons are going nuts with 50 cans of house paint. They were hitting speeds of at least 6 kph too!
…note that there were 3 submissions about this ad to the Advertising Standards people, the first 2 they rejected and the final one upheld. Even sillier?
I commend eveyone to rush out and buy a new Z4 in protest.
is it just me or can “hoons” actually afford 2000 onwards bmw’s?
On the basis of this ad being banned because it can encourage hoon driving. Then why don’t they ban Movies like fast and the furious, TV shows like Top Gear and Car Magazines like Wheels or Motor.
LOL, this is abosolutely ridiculous.
I mean I’m supprised the Government, lets us breathe, eat, drink or say what we want with out banning it once someone swears.
And another thing, if you have the time and effort to write and complain to the advertising watchdog, for a TV advertisement a car manufacturer made to display the abilities of its car(s), in order for them to generate sales and make a LIVING, and you are trying to stop that then you got some serious problems.
Imagine this as an alternative advertisment for the Z4, they show u the exterior, interior and tell u the price. Now would that get u off the couch into the dealership for a testdrive? NO.
I shudder to think that in a few years all we will see on tv are soft and fluffy ads for conservative cars with feel good music and cars being driven out of garages with elevator music! bah!!!
I don’t think this ad would promote “hoonish behaviour” any more than driving off an aircraft carrier with a yaris.
Expression, freedoms and freedom of speech are slowly being removed in Australia, and we look increasingly like idiots in the international eye. The banning of this ad is just a very small indicator of an increasing problem in this country – the simple fact is no matter what you do you will ALWAYS offend someone. I just wonder how many more of our civil liberties will be removed or choked before people stand up and say enough is enough.
Hang on, this post might be filtered out by the net censorship regime because its not aligned with the government’s views.
All I can say is; WTF!
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Lighten the hell up, for starters, hoons drive bomby old Commodores and Falcons, NOT brand new BMW Z4’s. This video was shot in a closed location, not on the open road where they could possible injure people.
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If they have banned this, then they should ban those horrible ‘Fast and Furious’ movies too.
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What a Joke. This lousy country just gets better and better…
I woul love to meet the viewers who complained about this ad best guesses are they all drive camrys.I wonder why the mazda 6 ad has not been banned as that depicts a racing car
Absolutely ridiculous.
Love to know who the maggots were that complained and what they drive / do for a living…