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Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 6:31pm
by Tonyf33
I just happen to watch this carp on CH5 http://www.tvadvertsuk.com/food-and-bev ... rman-mars/
I've made a complaint to the ASA, the person breaks the law at least twice and rides recklessly and dangerously on a bike that has only a single brake which would be inadequate at the speeds he is going to stop.
Portraying people on bikes in this way, pulling out of his drive without checking (head down) riding furiously on a bike far too small downhill without the ability to stop, going at speeds within inches of workmen and doing stunt jumps to cut through the traffic then again 'racing' against other cyclists is totally disgraceful advertising. :twisted:

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 9:09pm
by TonyR
None of that's a problem because he's wearing a H****t. :wink:

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 9:14pm
by Philip Benstead
Tonyf33 wrote:I just happen to watch this carp on CH5 http://www.tvadvertsuk.com/food-and-bev ... rman-mars/
I've made a complaint to the ASA, the person breaks the law at least twice and rides recklessly and dangerously on a bike that has only a single brake which would be inadequate at the speeds he is going to stop.
Portraying people on bikes in this way, pulling out of his drive without checking (head down) riding furiously on a bike far too small downhill without the ability to stop, going at speeds within inches of workmen and doing stunt jumps to cut through the traffic then again 'racing' against other cyclists is totally disgraceful advertising. :twisted:


Have you seen this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbKa28RBiGI

Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 9:27pm
by Heltor Chasca
Changed my mind. Don't like Mars anymore

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 10:41pm
by Bez
Tonyf33 wrote:the person breaks the law at least twice … on a bike that has only a single brake


I've watched it a few times now and you're going to have to help me out on the lawbreaking bits (especially as you ought to be referring to the law of whichever US state he's riding in). And how do you know the bike doesn't have a coaster brake?

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 10:58pm
by TonyR
Bez wrote:I've watched it a few times now and you're going to have to help me out on the lawbreaking bits (especially as you ought to be referring to the law of whichever US state he's riding in).


Have they started driving on the left in the US?

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 1 Jan 2016, 11:06pm
by Bez
Ah, yes, that's a good point ;)

Aus or SA, then? Anyway… my daft, hurried assumptions aside: it ain't the UK, so I'm still curious as to what the complaint is.

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 1:51am
by Vantage
I thought joke threads were supposed to go into the Fun & Games section of the forum.

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:03am
by Tonyf33
Bez wrote:Ah, yes, that's a good point ;)

Aus or SA, then? Anyway… my daft, hurried assumptions aside: it ain't the UK, so I'm still curious as to what the complaint is.

Are you seriously not able to see the law breaking? dangerous cycling is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988, this is broken on at least two occasions, to my mind three. potrayal of cyclists as reckless law breakers is irresponsible at best and sets a very bad impression for kids.
But you must be okay with dangerous cycling right? :roll:

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:05am
by Tonyf33
Vantage wrote:I thought joke threads were supposed to go into the Fun & Games section of the forum.

If you've nothing positive to add ........................................................................................................................................ I would politely ask that you refrain from doing so.

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:07am
by [XAP]Bob
Which bits are dangerous cycling.

Looks like he took a separate lane (maybe intended for pedestrians) through the roadworks, but he shoulder checks, times his arrival at lights....

It's also clearly a spoof - in rather controlled conditions.

Do you complain about the car adverts where the city streets are empty?

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:12am
by Vantage
It might be worth you watching the advert again Tony.
Whilst the ad has some serious work to do such as promoting their product to consumers, it is evidently done in a comedy way.
It's a bit like johnny foreigner watching Dads Army and concluding that the entire British army is full of cuffudling old pensioners.

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:37am
by PH
It's a disgrace, it presents a Mars Bar as a suitable post ride recovery bar when everyone knows that's a Snickers.

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:45am
by Vantage
PH wrote:It's a disgrace, it presents a Mars Bar as a suitable post ride recovery bar when everyone knows that's a Snickers.


Utter utter rubbish. Everyone knows its a Fudge and a bag of Haribo. Amateur!

Re: Mars Bar advert Advertising complaint

Posted: 2 Jan 2016, 10:52am
by Vorpal
I thought it was cleverly done. And in New Zealand, where I think this was filmed, children's bikes have to have the rear brake as a back-pedal brake. So, that bicycle certainly has two brakes, one rim brake, and one back-pedal brake.

I agree with others, the road works are on a protected bicycle lane, with car parking between the lane and the street, not a pavement.

We don't see the very beginning, where the cyclist would have been looking for traffic before riding into the road, we only see the riding into the road itself, so we don't know whether he looked. I certainly don't see any evidence of dangerous cycling. His bike is clearly too small, but he seems pretty confident riding it. One might even think he'd done that before ;)