Repco Bathurst burnout ad cleared

On the eve of the 2021 Repco Bathurst 1000, the major sponsor of the Great Race has had complaints about its high-profile burnout ad dismissed by the Ad Standards panel.

The advertising watchdog received several objections to Repco’s 30-second ‘Bringin’ the Bathurst’ TVC featuring Supercars ace Will Davison, who articulately pivots his Shell V-Power Racing Ford Mustang around a presenter amid a chorus of smoke and tyre-screeching.

The stunt in the advertisement, which has aired nationally in recent weeks, is clearly performed on a closed piece of bitumen – that is, a burnout pad – and executed by a professional driver.

That did not, however, stop the Advertising Standards Community Panel receiving numerous complaints from concerned community members over the depictions of poor road behaviour.

“I consider it inappropriate to exhibit such road behaviours,” said one complainant. “Repco has got this advert wrong, it can do little to encourage appropriate road behaviours. Indeed it encourages the opposite!”

Another said they were “absolutely disgusted” by the “lunatic, illegal behaviour”.

“It is offensive to me. It encourages bad vehicular use. Encourages burnouts,” said a separate complainant.

In its response to the Ad Standards case, Repco argued the advertisement was filmed in a safe environment with requisite safety equipment and using a certified stunt and precision driver.

“When developing this new Repco campaign, the intention was to convey a sense of the spirit and energy of the Bathurst 1000 experience,” the company said.

“The ad is to celebrate a commercial partnership with an iconic race, which is the biggest and most revered event in Australian motorsport.

“Burnout displays are a common part of the motor racing spectacle, particularly at Bathurst where the winning driver performs a victory burnout.

“As such, this is part of a strong subculture of Repco’s core customer groups who are car enthusiasts and regularly restore, modify, enhance and compete in their vehicles.

“Repco does not condone or encourage any form of unsafe or illegal behaviour. This stunt is performed by a qualified stunt professional, wearing a helmet, on a closed, private racetrack, purpose-built for the stunts performed.

“The ad does not show any other vehicles or people in the vicinity of the vehicle performing the stunt, or anywhere else in the picture.”

Under Section 2.6 of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics, advertisements should not depict material contrary to prevailing community standards on health and safety.

However, the Ad Standards panel saw it differently to the complainants, and dismissed the matter.

“While it’s illegal and unsafe to perform burnouts on public roads, the panel determined that it was obvious the stunt was not being performed by a driver of an everyday passenger vehicle on a public road and all possible steps had been taken to ensure the driver’s safety,” Ad Standards said in its case report.

“The panel considered that the advertisement did not contain material contrary to prevailing community standards on health and safety and determined that it did not breach Section 2.6 of the code.

“The complaint was dismissed.”

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