NAB ad revised following Ad Standards road safety complaint

An ad for NAB has been revised after industry watchdog Ad Standards upheld a complaint about a lack of street safety. In the original ad, a delivery driver was shown unloading his truck, blocking another lane of the road.

The spot, created by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne and released last month, has now been revised so that traffic cones surround the driver and his truck, and ‘Loading Zone’ and ‘Lane Closed’ signs have been added to make the truck appear legally parked. The updated version went to air last night.

The revised ad

In its initial response, NAB said it spoke to Sydney fruit farms before making the ad to confirm standard delivery procedures. The TVC was also shot on a closed set without active traffic, it said. In an effort to minimise the seriousness of the complaint, the bank also argued that more than 35% of Australians had seen the ad and it had received only one complaint.

In its deliberation, the Ad Standards panel referred to the road rule that stipulates a driver must not stop on a road within 10 metres of the nearest point of an intersecting road, at an intersection without traffic lights, unless a parking control sign admits it.

The location of the truck and the driver prevented other drivers’ use of the right-turning lane, which was deemed to breach prevailing community standards of safety and. Accordingly, the panel upheld the complaint.

The changes to the ad were made by Clemenger BBDO Melbourne in consultation with Safe Work Australia and Transport NSW, making the new scene legal and safe for the driver.

The original ad

Earlier this month, it was announced that the board of Ad Standards would be merging with the board of the Australian Association of National Advertisers in a move that will reduce costs and complexities of the advertising self-regulatory system.