ASA backs Volkswagen ad featuring babies in front-facing car seats
The Advertising Standards Authority has refused to uphold complaints leveled at Volkswagen over a car commercial depicting two babies placed in front-facing car seats.
Devised by Adam & Eve DDB the ad depicted a father taking his baby for a drive alongside another father doing the same, drawing complaints from two viewers who pointed out that it was illegal for a child below 9kg in weight to be seated in such a position.
Responding to the complaints Volkswagen stressed that they had ensured the car seat was legally compliant and had weighed two sets of twins used in filming on casting day and the day the ad was shot.
In a statement the ASA said: “We acknowledged that both Clearcast and Volkswagen were aware of the guidelines and had taken measures to ensure that they were acting within the law. Because of that, we concluded that the ad was not harmful or irresponsible.”