Two advertisements for the Toyota Hilux in the UK, one in poster format and the other a television spot, have been pulled off the air by the local Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) due to perceived lack of "responsibility to society."
According to The Guardian, the move marks the first instance of an ad being banned in the UK based on social concerns related to environmentalism and land preservation.
The TV commercial, still accessible on YouTube and posted by animation company Platige Image, has been in use in the UK since 2020. It depicts a convoy of Hilux utes off-roading through tussocks, gravel, and a riverbed before transitioning to the road. The ad's twist occurs when one of the utes backs up into its driveway, suggesting it had been off-roading independently. The advertisement concludes with the tagline 'born to roam.'
