Ford pulls ‘reckless’ Ranger ads

So it comes as no surprise that the brand wanted to show off the car’s best attributes when advertising it to potential customers.

The problem is advertising guidelines place strict limits on what can and cannot be shown when promoting a vehicle. And that a performance ute flying across the countryside with four wheels in the air falls foul of those requirements.

The Advertising Standards Bureau received complaints surrounding the Ranger Raptor’s ad campaign from people who objected to “ultra fast acceleration”, “jumping over rises” and “ripping up ground surface”. One person said “this type of driving is very dangerous and should not be shown on a TV ad”.

Ultimately, the bureau agreed. 

Though Ford said it followed guidelines by keeping the car’s speed under 80km/h, choosing not to focus on speed or acceleration, and showing a disclaimer that the ad was shot at a private test area with a professional driver at the wheel, the ad can no longer be shown in Australia.

The Bureau found that “the overall impression of the advertisement was not of a testing area”, that “the use of a disclaimer, qualified driver and private testing facility does not justify the inclusion of any unsafe driving”, and that the Raptor was shown driving at “a speed which would be likely considered to be unsafe by many members of the community”.

A panel tasked with assessing the commercial should that elements “appeared reckless” and that it “considered the speed of the vehicle appeared unsafe when the vehicle became airborne”.

Ford has pulled the ad in Australia, promising to re-edit the commercial before further broadcasts.