Volvo promotes 'unsafe driving' - again

Is Volvo sending mixed signals?

A day before it announced its commitment to a new high-tech car safety test facility in Sweden as part of its bid to reduce to zero the death toll in its new cars, the brand most synonymous with safety was forced to modify a television commercial because it was deemed to promote unsafe driving.

The Swedish maker’s latest advertisement showed a black Volvo V60 performing lurid tyre-smoking drifts, handbrake turns and other manoeuvres that fall under the ‘hooning’ tag.

The advert was flagged by the Advertising Standards Board after a complaint was received and Volvo agreed to submit modified footage to placate the board.

Volvo is investing heavily in active car safety, which will be ramped up when the company begins using a new high-tech vehicle testing facility in Hällered, Sweden, yet at the same time it is keen to show the exciting side of its cars, said Volvo Car Australia Public Affairs Manager Oliver Peagam.

"Volvo is and will continue to be the world’s leading automotive manufacturer when it comes to safety... But there’s much more to Volvo than safety alone and this global TVC clearly illustrates that."

The new safety facility is currently being built in Sweden and will open in 2014. Volvo expects the new centre to help it fast-track several technologies that will lead to "our vision that nobody should be killed or suffer serious injuries in a new Volvo car by the year 2020," according to Volvo Car Corporation’s Senior Vice President for Research & Development, Peter Mertens.

But can Volvo reconcile the establishment of the new safety centre to help eliminate deaths in its new vehicles while promoting risky driving techniques to sell its cars?

Mr Peagam said the offending advert was not at odds with the company’s safety ethos and that performance will continue to play a big part of Volvo’s marketing strategy.

"I don't think there’s anything to reconcile," he told motoring.com.au. "Safety is, and will remain, a key USP (unique selling proposition) for Volvo but so is design, performance, handling..."

This is not the first time Volvo has fallen foul of advertising guidelines, following a complaint filed last year against its S60 commerical, which showed the car lock up its rear wheels when performing a hand-brake turn.

Is Volvo pushing too far in its bid to move away from its once-bland pipe-and-slippers image?

"No," says Mr Peagam. "Regardless of the ‘pipe-and-slippers image’ you refer to not being applicable to Volvo for many years now, we do not encourage anyone to drive in a reckless and unsafe manner."

Asked if Volvo’s internal processes were in need of an overhaul, given the TVC went to air showing clearly risky driver behaviour, Mr Peagam said: "Volvo Car Australia has in place its own stringent internal review and approval process."

He also noted that the Voluntary Code of Practice of Motor Vehicle Advertising established by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries - Australia’s peak motor industry body - allows for some leeway, in the form of "legitimate use of fantasy, humour and self-evident exaggeration in creative ways".

However, that leeway may be scrapped in 2013. A number of automotive TVCs have been altered in recent times after complaints were made, including a Suzuki Swift Sport commercial, and the federal government has now called for a review of the self-regulated motor vehicle advertising codes of practice.