IF YOU are a fan of cars and have been keeping an eye on the latest type of land rovers available, you may have noticed that the company has actually had a little bit of scandal in the news. This has caused an advertisement to be taken off TV as it has had several complaints. The advert in question was displayed in February. Now, you may be asking yourself, what could cause a famous brand’s advert to be pulled from viewership? That is what we are going to find out!

What was the misleading car advert?

In February 2022, Land Rover created an advertisement that essentially said that its parking sensors could prevent the driver from reversing their vehicle off a cliff. Essentially, the advert displayed a car (The Defender Model) being driven around an island on bumpy terrain. It was then that it started to reverse backwards to the edge of a cliff. The driver only used their parking sensors to guide them. That way they could “prove” that the sensors worked to protect the driver in the vehicle.

Why was this car advert seen as misleading?

Most addressable media experts understand that it’s crucial that a professional advertisement remains completely honest about its product. That’s why the Land Rover car advert was frustrating for several reasons. People who complained about the advert said that the parking sensors were not reacting to the cliff. Instead, they were reacting to boulders and small rocks that were on the ground next to the car.

It worried people that the parking sensors were not actually reacting to the empty space. Therefore, if people would use the car in that type of terrain, they may end up in a dangerous situation. Ultimately, it would mean that the customers would be misled about any parking features within the car.

How many complaints were received about the car advert?

Although only two complaints were received about the car advert, Land Rover still decided that it was more important to protect customers from any mistakes that were made within the advertisement. Although the ASA did say that the small rocks that appeared in the ad were completely incidental, it was still important to the company that any problems were sorted out as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this does also mean that it will have an effect on Land Rover’s budget, and potentially any future advertisements that were created as part of this project.

Final thoughts: Be aware of your advertising

Ultimately, if you are an advertiser, you can learn from the mistakes of Land Rover to ensure that your advertisements do not fall into the same pitfalls. That’s why we would recommend that you always test out your products before you advertise them. You should build up your knowledge of them, so you understand what the general public are looking for – and ensure that all the features you advertise are 100% accurate. The more you understand, the more likely it is that you will be able to create a fantastic advertisement without it becoming misleading or confusing for your customers.