Think like a driver or think like a cyclist?

[Alex321]

I must admit, if you hadn't raised it, I would not even have thought about considering the possibility it might be showing somebody who had been hit by the car. Totally wrong angle, grinning all over their face, looks like they are jumping for joy, I just can't see any connection between the person and the car (I won't call them a pedestrian, since no sign they may have been walking), but I would have to presume from the tone of the message and the grin on the face, that they are the person who is "with the AA".

I hav no idea what the advert is supposed to be saying is "OK" though, since there is no sig of anything wrong anywhere in it.

 

[ColinJ]

It was just what it looked like from a distance. I thought to myself that surely the poster wasn't showing somebody who had been hit by a car!

 

[wiggydiggy]

I was out for a little ride this afternoon and spotted a huge strange-looking billboard poster ahead of me. I wondered what it was showing...

As I got closer, I saw that it was a picture of a pedestrian who had been hit by a car and was still flying through the air. The text on the advert reassured worried witnesses that the driver would have no problems - "It's okay - I'm with the AA". Phew - no problem with the car repairs and legal costs when sued for damages then!

I was sufficiently indignant that I stopped to take a picture of the poster...

View attachment 701699

It took me some time to realise that the poster is actually supposed to show a car being attacked by a crazed wrestler!

Am I being over-sensitive, or is that poster just a wee bit tone deaf?

Thats not a wrestler, thats actually the AA mechanic attempting to fix the car

 

[Drago]

AA employ mechanics now? I thought they simply rounded up the undead and gave then each a uniform.

 

[PaulSB]

An overreaction in my view. It's rubbish advertising but has nothing to do with hitting a pedestrian. I can't imagine how people see something which just isn't there.

 

[wiggydiggy]

AA employ mechanics now? I thought they simply rounded up the undead and gave then each a uniform.

 

[Drago]

An overreaction in my view. It's rubbish advertising but has nothing to do with hitting a pedestrian. I can't imagine how people see something which just isn't there.

I'm no dumb-dumb (ha ha ha ha ha!) and at first glance it also looked to me like a car punting a pedstrian up the road and I had to stare at it for a minute or two to figure it out.

You spotted it straight away, all power to you, have a wowwipop.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that of those on this thread many normal folk have viewed in the same manner as the OP, and many who didn't still think the AA dropped a clanger, shows that the organisation has failed badly with this one.

 

[Once a Wheeler]

For me, this definitely works right-to-left: car smashes into man so hard that he destroys an advertising hoarding.

Reminds me of a famous faux pas in the francophone world where Air France suffered a major plane crash at a time when they were running a poster campaign bearing the slogan Air France vous ouvre les portes du ciel. (Intended to be understood as 'Air France opens your gateway to the skies' but equally understandable as 'Air France opens up for you the gates of heaven').

 

[gbb]

An overreaction in my view. It's rubbish advertising but has nothing to do with hitting a pedestrian. I can't imagine how people see something which just isn't there.

It's funny how different people see the same thing...and come up with totally different conclusions.
I immediately see it as the wrestler trying to give the car a knockout blow...but its OK, I'm with the AA.
I don't see a ped being knocked over, even in the slightest.

A pretty clumsy advert tbf ( simply because its obviously open to negative interpretation), it's one of my pet hates, lazy, useless adverts. This isn't quite that but who from the AA (or any company who ends up with a lacklustre advert) signs it off ?

 

[Drago]

This isn't quite that but who from the AA (or any company who ends up with a lacklustre advert) signs it off ?

Probably the same person that signed the compo cheque when I took them to court.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

Secondly, unlikely, as there's nobody in it.

I see a human shaped shadow behind the wheel

 

[classic33]

I see a human shaped shadow behind the wheel

That's the seat, which is empty.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

That's the seat, which is empty.

Could be ... or not be

 

[a.twiddler]

Could be ... or not be

It's that element of uncertainty, isn't it!

Ever since head restraints became mandatory, an easy indicator of whether there was someone in a stationary car which you were approaching from behind has disappeared. You could see the silhouette of a head and shoulders and make a judgement whether it would be safe to pass or if your tingling spidey senses gave a feeling that they might pull out without looking. Of course, there might still be the tiny possibility that you could be taken out by an unusually short driver.

Now, all seats, even in an empty car, have that silhouette so you have to assume that it's occupied. A case of secondary safety (protecting the occupants in an accident) trumping primary safety (potentially preventing one).

 

[Slick]

It's that element of uncertainty, isn't it!

Ever since head restraints became mandatory, an easy indicator of whether there was someone in a stationary car which you were approaching from behind has disappeared. You could see the silhouette of a head and shoulders and make a judgement whether it would be safe to pass or if your tingling spidey senses gave a feeling that they might pull out without looking. Of course, there might still be the tiny possibility that you could be taken out by an unusually short driver.

Now, all seats, even in an empty car, have that silhouette so you have to assume that it's occupied. A case of secondary safety (protecting the occupants in an accident) trumping primary safety (potentially preventing one).

I'm sure I've posted this before, but a boy at work spoke about coming up behind a line of stationary traffic at the lights. He was getting angrier and angrier as the lights kept changing but nobody was moving. Eventually he got out to see what was going on and he realised that he had pulled in behind a line of parked cars. He was nicknamed Mr Magoo after that.