Ad Standards sniffs at Toyota’s ‘Pied Piper’ Hilux ad

Toyota has fallen afoul of the advertising watchdog, after its commercial showing a parade of dogs leaping into a Hilux was flagged for depicting unsafe driving practices.

The Japanese carmaker unveiled its playful take on the Pied Piper of Hamelin last December, featuring dogs abandoning their owners to leap into a Hilux along a country road.

However, the Ad Standards panel has ruled that the Saatchi and Saatchi ad breached its guidelines on health and safety, including safe driving, noting that the dogs were clearly not tethered, despite acknowledging the ad’s fanciful tone.

Toyota has now agreed to modify the ad in response to the ruling

“[The panel noted] that it was impossible to stack dogs in a giant ball as shown in the ad,” the watchdog said in its ruling.

“However, the panel considered that all the scenes prior to this showed dogs jumping onto a moving vehicle or chasing it down the road to ultimately jump onto the vehicle. The panel considered that these scenes were not presented as fantastical or unrealistic.

“The impression created in the ad was that the animals are not safely tethered, which appears to be contrary to state and territory rules pertaining to the transport of animals.”

“The majority felt that the behaviour shown, even if lighthearted and possibly exaggerated, was contrary to community expectations on safety,” the panel concluded.

Viewers also complained to Ad Standards over concerns of animal cruelty, noting that the dogs were depicted as untethered on the Hilux, a practice that could be seen as neglect or even abuse, the ruling noted.

However, the watchdog dismissed the cruelty complaint, observing that the ad did not show any animals falling or jumping off the vehicle.

The panel also noted that the driver does not appear aware that the neighbourhood dogs are chasing his vehicle and jumping into the back, thereby undercutting any argument that his actions could constitute violence towards animals.

Although “lighthearted”, the ad was still found to be in breach

Toyota addressed these complaints in detail, emphasising that the advertisement is framed around a comedic premise, noting that the scene “are exaggerated and clearly impossible, including the unrealistic number of dogs ‘piling’ into a single ute.”

The carmarker also stressed that filming the dogs was carried out with “proper permissions and strict animal-handling controls.”

Measures included using stuffed prop dogs rather than real animals, while the opening shots feature a breed commonly associated with livestock work, animals that are typically exempt from tethering or restraint rules in rural settings.

Related Content

News Queensland marketer pushes back after 'exploitative' billboard ruling

Opinion Why junk food ad bans won’t fix Australia’s obesity problem