Lexus Advert Banned in UK
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK 
on 05.23.07
"High performance. Low emissions. Zero guilt." That was the claim made in a Lexus ad campaign. However, the Advertising Standards Authority didn't agree, and has banned the advert on the grounds of false claims.
Although the ASA agreed that, for an SUV, the car had low emissions. However the headline was misleading because it implied, incorrectly, that the car caused little or no harm to the environment.
There were only ten complaints about the Lexus RX 400h advert, but that was enough to provoke an investigation and have the advert banned entirely. Although I hate the idea of encouraging people to complain, and to fuel bureaucracy, it does seem like a very effective way of calling out green-washing advertising agencies. Next time you see an ad that claims revolutionary fuel efficiency or some other such nonsense, you may want to consider following the link below and making a complaint. :: The Guardian
See also :: Make a complaint online in the UK
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Too bad that is a picture of a Mazda, not a Lexus...
Your article picture appears to be of a Mazda CX-7.
I'm afraid I don't know a lot about the profile of SUVs. I found that image labelled as a Lexus, and used it without checking.
Perhaps TreeHugger needs a picture editor!
I'm an avid Treehugger but the Advertising Standards Authority is a gross abuse of regulatory power. Britons may not have a written bill of rights but they do have a constitutional tradition. I've seen posters in the tube where the ASA actively solicits complaints, which is just government money used to cultivate croakers.
No government authority is competent to judge whether an advertiser is making a joke or asserting a fact.
Nanny Labour has dropped the ball on so many things, maybe its time for some (old-fashioned) Tory self-reliance.
Actually, for a treehugger, I'd say that it is a compliment to be so green that you can't tell one SUV from another.
It doesn't take many complaints to the ASA to have an advert pulled (one will do it). They seem to work on a "one complaint, a million vaguely annoyed people" principle, and good on them too.
Well I'm sure the folks at Mazda would be happy to hear that you thought their vehicle was a Lexus. I'm sure that would mean mission accomplished for the design team :)
Not that this Mazda SUV is any friend to the environment though...
"No government authority is competent to judge whether an advertiser is making a joke or asserting a fact."
Great! So the marketing dept can just keep on spouting rubbish!