Depressing complaint to the ASA

[coshgirl]

Hello, I've just heard that there has been a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about the latest Transport for London campaign as the cyclists are pictured without helmets. The ASA are now contacting TfL to investigate - but I can't see that they have any case at all given that helmet wearing is not compulsory. I might take it upon myself to complain to the ASA the next time I see a campaign showing cyclists wearing helmets, as it depicts cycling as more dangerous activity than it is. Will be interested to see the outcome...

 

[Origamist]

Some of the Saatchi posters have cyclists with helmets on, some don't. I don't think TFL have much to worry about.

 

[Arch]

When I worked for Company of Cyclists, (promoting cycling to the public, through roadshows) we had someone write and complain that not all the cyclists in our various leaflets were wearing helmets. My colleague at the time did a very competent precis of the pros and cons of helmet wearing in a reply, and the person wrote back to say they hadn't realised there was an issue at all, and that they had changed their mind having read about it...

So there is perhaps hope...

 

[Tynan]

what is the complaint exactly?

 

[John the Monkey]

Apparently that cyclists pictured are not wearing helmets, Tynan.

The "Crap Walking and Cycling in Waltham Forest" blog features one such poster, and a different ground for complaint here;

http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2009/05/fantasy-cycling-in-london.html

 

[mickle]

When I worked for Company of Cyclists, (promoting cycling to the public, through roadshows) we had someone write and complain that not all the cyclists in our various leaflets were wearing helmets. My colleague at the time did a very competent precis of the pros and cons of helmet wearing in a reply, and the person wrote back to say they hadn't realised there was an issue at all, and that they had changed their mind having read about it...

So there is perhaps hope...

Funny you should mention that, just yesterday Rickie McG and I were discussing Thursdays school's insistence on helmets and did a quick guesstimation of the number of kids Company of Cyclists have had just on our schools roadshows, so not including public roadshows, over the last five years; 1,350,000! without a decent head injury. Must try harder.

 

[sheddy]

BTW, are there any more Getcycling (CoC) Roadshows coming up ?
(I can only see the Truro one listed on the website)

 

[Tynan]

yes, but isn't that like complaining that their bike is green or they're hair is too long?

ie it's not a valid cause for complaint?

 

[Landslide]

..without a decent head injury.

What defines "decent"?
Blood? Comedy egg-shaped lump? Hospitalisation?

 

[HLaB]

Apparently that cyclists pictured are not wearing helmets, Tynan.

The "Crap Walking and Cycling in Waltham Forest" blog features one such poster, and a different ground for complaint here;

http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2009/05/fantasy-cycling-in-london.html

Ive not read the full blog but pictures say a 1000 words :

 

[Arch]

Funny you should mention that, just yesterday Rickie McG and I were discussing Thursdays school's insistence on helmets and did a quick guesstimation of the number of kids Company of Cyclists have had just on our schools roadshows, so not including public roadshows, over the last five years; 1,350,000! without a decent head injury. Must try harder.

From what I remember of Nottingham last year, a kids bike with a really new biting front disc brake is what you need....

Of all the shows I can remember (some of them are a bit of a blur), the worst injury I can think of was a finger which may have been broken, but may only have been badly knocked, the St Johns person couldn't say.

Helmets for fingers, that's the ticket...

 

[User482]

The next time you see a car advert, complain that the driver isn't wearing a helmet.

After all, it's a non-compulsory safety measure that may reduce accident severity in some circumstances...

 

[Origamist]

The ASA have published the Diet Coke/Duffy advert ajudication:

http://www.asa.org.uk/asa/adjudications/Public/TF_ADJ_46418.htm

The complaints were not upheld...

 

[gemsno4]

"Coca-Cola said they went through a vigorous process early in production to ensure they met the criteria set by the Highway Code in terms of riding a bicycle on public roads. They said current Highway Code regulations stated that it was advisable to wear reflective clothing in the dark when riding a bicycle. They said that Duffy was wearing a black and white sparkly sequined top that reflected light shone on it, gave her a luminous glow when she passed under light and stood out in the dark."

Right I am binning the sweaty nylon builders jacket and going out to get myself a sequined top for the winter!

 

[ChrisKH]

Coca-Cola Great Britain (Coca-Cola) said the ad was not meant to reflect reality. They said it was meant to be Duffy's fantasy, a scenario that depicted her escape from the pressures of stardom and far removed from the real world. They said they wanted to show her taking that journey in a way that would not be possible in real life.

Too right. She was freewheeling on a fixie for starters.