The British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned advertising of Toyota SUVs in which the cars crossed a riverbed, reports “Rambler” with reference to the Financial Times.
In the short video, several Toyota Hilux SUVs move one after another, cross a riverbed and drive out onto the road.
The British regulator considered that the commercial showed “driving a car through natural ecosystems without taking into account the [negative] impact of such driving on the environment”.
In turn, representatives of Toyota Motor claim that the advertisement only demonstrates the capabilities of the car, which is intended for people with “a real need for SUVs, such as farmers, forestry workers or park rangers”.
The company also noted that a reasonable person would not see the advert as encouraging reckless driving in the UK countryside and causing harm to the environment.