Volkswagon Matrix Advert

A UK TV ad for the Volkswagen Golf featuring a series of fight scenes between a car designer and clones of himself has attracted more than 100 complaints to the advertising censor.

The Advertising Standards Authority has received 115 complaints about the ad and is investigating whether the ad is in breach of the broadcast advertising code for featuring excessive violence that could be copied by children.

Complainants have objected that the ad is supposedly offensive because the depiction of violence is excessive, inappropriate to be seen by children, should not be shown before the 9pm watershed and may encourage emulation.

The TV ad, which draws inspiration from the Bourne and Matrix movie fight scenes, opens in the office of the chief designer at the German VW factory. He answers a knock at his door and is confronted by a sinister clone of himself who punches him. The designer fights back then tries to escape from his attacker, only to be confronted by more and more clones as he is pursued through the VW factory.

After he has defeated the last of his assailants, the chief designer is seen looking at the new VW Golf. Sometimes the only one you have to beat is yourself, runs the voiceover.

A Volkswagen advert with fight scenes inspired by the Bourne and Matrix movies has received a pre-9pm TV ban after more than 1,000 complaints to the advertising watchdog made it the fifth most complained-about UK commercial ever.

The Advertising Standards Authority received a total of 1,066 complaints about the VW campaign, consisting of four TV ads and a cinema ad, featuring a Volkswagen designer fighting a series of running battles against sinister clones of himself.

Complaints to the ASA ranged from the violence in the series of ads, which were all versions of an original, single 100-second commercial, to whether they were unsuitable to be seen when children might be watching and could lead to copycat behaviour.

VW said the struggle in the ads was metaphorical rather than real and that the exaggerated, cartoon-like sound effects and actions were designed to dispel the gravity of the fighting.

However, the ASA ruled against two versions of the TV ad that showed particularly graphic images, including fight scenes using car parts.

The regulator said that the 100-second cut included an opening punch [that was] shocking and set up a series of violent set pieces that included the use of weapons.

In its ruling, published today, the advertising watchdog concluded that the VW commercial needed a further restriction to not be shown before the 9pm watershed.

The ASA cleared all the VW ads of complaints that they specifically targeted children and could lead to copycat behaviour. The cinema ad was also cleared.