Why would Australia ban the “Expression of Joy” TV ad?

Herald Sun Australia reports that the new BMW Z4 campaign, “Expression of Joy” has been banned from the TV stations. The reason: [the ad] “would encourage car hoons to spin and burn their tyres.” The entity that forced the ban is the Advertising Standard Bureau, the Australian’s advertising watchdog.

Now those of us that live in the U.S. might find that quite ridiculous since we’re used to seeing a large variety of TV ads that are at least morally questionable, but truth is that even after watching the Z4 “Expression of Joy” clip, we can’t see eye-to-eye with them. True, there is some spinning in the commercial, but it all revolves around slow paced circles that have a single purpose: to paint the surface underneath in order to create the art work envisioned by the artist Robin Rhode and director Jake Scott.

The interesting part is that the campaign is being used across the globe and it has been successfully running in the U.S or UK for quite some time now.

So the question is: are those people really that conservative? “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”. Come on….seriously? Lose traction….drifting….this commercial is all about art and there is obviously no intention to promote any street racing, Tokyo drifting or whatever they want to call it…

Of course, BMW responded back and they were pretty much in line with what we just said: “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”. Keyword: ART.

BMW spokesman Toni Andreevski continued: “We believe the audience can distinguish between fantasy and reality.”

We honestly don’t even see how could someone confuse that commercial for something else, when we first saw it, we were focusing mostly on the painting part and that part only.

BMW decided to let this one go: “….Safety is important to us, and we have agreed not to appeal.”

We love our Aussies friends very much, but we couldn’t let this one slide without reporting it.

Here is the full commercial:

15 Responses to “Why would Australia ban the “Expression of Joy” TV ad?”

Giom says:

July 1, 2009 at 3:39 am

From the country that brought us Beyond 2000. Seems a little ridiculous now, doesn’t it. I am also very sensitive to what is broadcast these days, but seriously, this ad IS about art. It never brought up any thoughts of; “Oeee, now I want to make my wheels loose traction on a street where other people share it with me…”

RIDICULOUS!

Esper says:

July 1, 2009 at 4:31 am

Hmm, that’s interesting. They should immidiately ban this Hilux commercial too:
youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXG6UStQ3-w
It makes me wanna throw some trailer!

- Giom says:
  
  July 1, 2009 at 7:34 am
  
  I agree. Very funny ad though!
  
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July 1, 2009 at 4:31 am

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Gord says:

July 1, 2009 at 7:01 am

Didn’t Australia also ban that Jet and old M5 commercial ?

Artmic says:

July 1, 2009 at 10:22 am

That is what you get when the government goes ape shit.
Same shit will happen in the USA soon, they will screw us over with immigration, carbon taxation, and give every dollar to the stinking central bankers for them to screw us over.

Xasibe says:

July 1, 2009 at 10:22 am

i wonder if fast and the furious is in cinemas in Aus

Josh B says:

July 1, 2009 at 6:35 pm

I live in Victoria and i woundered were the ads had gone.
I loved watching them and they are fantastic markating ads, one of the best iv seen.
To think that they are baned for the ridiculas reasons as to why….makes me very anoyed!
Their are new anti-hoon laws being placed and the old ones being toughened up.
Its insain that thev gone this far though….guess thats labor for you….

Gord says:

July 1, 2009 at 7:35 pm

Wait ! Can’t one argue that the commercial promotes safely driftng in a closed area without other people ?

And couldn’t I say that the Z4 is sliding on ice ? Hence no tire smoke ?

Alexander Phillippe says:

July 2, 2009 at 12:02 am

Big Brother at his finest.

Andy says:

July 2, 2009 at 2:44 am

1 idiotic viewer reported the ad, and the monkeys at the Advertising Board Beaural decided to pull it off. GG

Yves says:

July 2, 2009 at 8:30 am

Hahaha what a typical Aussie reaction. Whilst we are casual folks, we do live in fear and hypocrisy, no kidding! Oh and I’m sure events like the hoonfest V8 Holden vs Ford races have nothing detrimental except enriching world civilization!

AutoCritical says:

July 2, 2009 at 9:45 am

I didn’t really see a ‘hoon’ side of the advert. The music from what I can remember was pretty subdue, but more so, I was thinking Jackson Pollock

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Pollock

The artist!

garis tepi says:

July 4, 2009 at 8:07 am

wah post yang bagus and keren..ingin sekali mendapatkan mobil yang keren itu

Dejai Scott says:

August 17, 2009 at 1:43 am

That just proves how uncultured we are or the governing bodies think we are. I see the ad a think of art and so do most of the population of the world. Banning it just proves that we are uncultured and dont have the capacity to appreciate such a campaign and that the only thing we take from it is that we will go and spin and burn our tyres. Go and look at all car ads, most and especially the aussie ads campaigns are built around the speed. But no thinks that it will promote speed and dangerous driving.

Wake up ASB and take you head out of your arse!!!