Watchdog instructs auto brand to remove or amend TV ad campaign

South Africa’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Regulatory Board, has ordered automotive brand Kia to remove or amend a television advert for its Tasman pickup (called a ‘bakkie’ locally) as it is likely to be offensive to people with neurological conditions. 

The commercial features passengers and bystanders shaking uncontrollably in various scenarios, poking fun at the harsh rides associated with traditional work pickups. The driver of the Tasman, however, remains calm and unruffled due to its superior ride quality. 

It attracted a complaint from a consumer who said the commercial depicted individuals shaking uncontrollably in a manner that closely resembles symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and other neurological disorders.  

As someone who has a family member suffering from Parkinson’s, the complainant found the advert “deeply upsetting, insensitive and inappropriate”. 

The complainant further felt that using movements which resemble real-life symptoms for entertainment or comedic effect could be perceived as “mocking or trivialising those conditions”. 

Auto brand’s response to the ARB 

In its response to the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB), Kia South Africa referenced the Code of Advertising Practice, which permits parody in advertising. The company emphasised that the shaking of the individuals, along with the shaking of the bakkie’s exhaust, clearly indicated why they were shaking. 

Kia also stated that it had voluntarily submitted the commercial to an experienced legal practitioner, who believed the visuals constituted hyperbole and raised no concern that the depiction could be misconstrued as representing Parkinson’s disease or any other medical condition. 

In its ruling, the ARB said it accepted there was no intention to depict Parkinson’s or any other neurological disorder and that, viewed as a whole, the reasonable consumer will understand that the characters are not suffering from such a disorder. 

However, the ARB was concerned that this context had not been set up from the beginning of the commercial. 

“Given this, the Directorate considers the inadvertent outcome of the depiction of individuals shaking severely may reasonably be understood for at least part of the commercial to be a neurological disorder. A reasonable viewer of this commercial is likely to wonder why the individuals are shaking.”  

The ARB instructed Kia South Africa “to remove or amend the commercial depicting shaking individuals immediately as deadlines permit”.