Crazy EU: no more fun in car advertising

[the Interceptor]

Unfortunately, I can only offer you (my sisters and) my translation of the article, so if you find something in english, feel free to post it!

http://www.stern.de/auto/service/:Au...re/622469.html

If it is for the European Parliament, there's and end to the fun in car advertising. Their plans include forbidding to advertise fun in driving as well as reserving as much as 20 percent for figuring co2-emissions. And the media faces the threat of the industry's withdrawal from advertising.

Is driving as dangerous as smoking? One might get this impression, should the postulations of the European Parliament be implemented. This means that 20 percent of advertising space and time in magazines, on the internet, radio and tv would be reserved for legal warning notices: Caution! Maneuvering this vehicle will account for climate change with 163 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer! This driving pleasure consumes 6.8 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers!

This basically is disposession, says Volker Nickel of the advertising industry. His reasoning: compulsory levies would be paid with the money of those companies that advertise in the media. This way, the Eurpean Parliament would misuse said advertising to promote their politicial and educational policies. „There already are threats by the carmakers to retire from classical advertising and replace it by other means.


Freedom of advertising and press under threat

As car advertising financially comes second right after current food offerings, it's not only the freedom of advertising, but also the freedom of press that is under threat, says Nickel: „The variety in German media is procured by money from advertising.“ His boss, Michael Kern, even takes it further. He calls the postulations from Brussels a „neosocialistic test arrangement“ from „EU-Babylon“, against which the advertising industry would have to defend itself by means of increased lobbying. In his view, the lukewarm policy of appeasement of large companies is a problem, as the special interest magazine „Werben & Verkaufen“ reports.


Voluntary abdication of feelings

Apart from the mentioned 20 percent obligation, European Parliament has yet another idea. The creative heads of the agencies are to accept a voluntary codex of behavior. Agressive and dynamic feelings in word and vision shall vanish. Advertisements such as the current BMW one could soon be a no-no. Too much action, too much fun. „Restricting the statement of the advert would lead to the agencies to develop extraordinarily creative approaches.“, says Frank Zimmer, boss of „Werben & Verkaufen“. In other words: possible bans can be bypassed by clever advertising. Zimmer therefore doesn't believe in the success of such restrictions.


Good conduct in terms of Brussels

Above all, Volker Nickel asks, „what's the use of it all?“ A good as complex as a car is not to be sold solely by advertising. Many other factors are involved, ranging from the conversation in the showroom to the chat with the next door neighbor. Most of all, Nickel sees one specific thing in the postualtions of the European Parliament: a new attempt to dictate citizens how to live. „Behave the way we want and think fit“ seems to be the hidden, yet clear message.


„Large and clear“

All protesting of the advertising industry aside, there are supporters of the intended regulation. Rebecca Harms represents the Green Party in the European Parliament and can not understand what the fuss is about [editorial note: c*nt!!!]. There can be discussion whether it has to be 20 percent, but she emphasizes „that the information for the consumer needs to be large and clearly visible.“ The economy of the car is not only a question of climate protection. It's gaining relevance in a social point of view as well. For a growing number of people, an economical car is the precondition for securing their mobility and their job. Therefore, labeling the fuel consumption on a much larger scale than the fine print is badly mandatory. „To call that an attack on the freedom of advertising is absurd!“, says Harms.

Otmar Lell, speaker for the sustainability and traffic of the federation of consumer advice centers, basically agrees to enlarge fuel consumption and co2-emission figures. „It doesn't have to be as prominent as for tabacco.“ At the same time, he warns about suggesting that „the problem can be mastered by measures in advertising.“ Additionally, the actual problem for many is the rising oil price.

What the hell are they doing?

[JakeRadden]

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

*Other Stuff* What the hell are they doing?

Being stupid, that's what.
For once, happy I live in the US.

[Cobol74]

All protesting of the advertising industry aside, ther are supporters of the intended regulation. Rebecca Harms represents the Green Party in the European Parliament and can not understand what the fuss is about [editorial note: c*nt!!!].

Great editorial - FTW.

[Hidden_Hunter]

Horay for eco-fascists?

[H0nzik]

The whole concept of quoting the fuel economy and CO2 figures in the adverts is so stupid already, as most cars are sold with a wide variety of engines, so it says something like 140-350 CO2s, 5 - 15 l/100km. And now they want this useless information to have more space in the adverts?
The EU really needs to get back to the basics, like eliminating trade barriers etc., the rest is just garbage. The fact that the parties usually nomite politicians that failed at the domestic scene and have to be gotten rid of into the EU organs doesn't really help the cause either.

[Ottobon]

I really hope and pray that regular citizens outside the auto industry speak their minds about this. To think that its only getting sadder and sadder since the 70s. I know it probably sounds retarded, and i'm not much for political organizations or unions, but if their was a drivers union or something like that i would be in full support of it. Generally speaking thats the only approach that works when it comes to getting a respected conglomerate. I mean if all that political mumbo-jumbo was what it took to get organizations as idiotic as PETA and the Green party (I'm not saying all environmental potection is terrible) to become fairly powerful, i would think that a organization dedicated to a good, useful, and liberating cause would be fairly easy to sustain.


PS: People still believe in global warming? I thought we made it clear that was a hoax the instant George W. Bush proclaimed he believed in it.

[anti-net]

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/member...do?language=en

Find your MEP, tell them your not happy

It what the eco-nazis do, so lets play the same game!

EDIT: OK, I have 7 MEPs for the South West...which one do I contact, I really should have looked into the European Parliament before...

[Suedschleife]

Well I got used the the labels on my cigarettes warning me that i am a homicidal, suicidal, soon to be sterile fool, but this trend of "extremist" nonsensical lawmaking in environment/health&safety/intellectual property/security areas is really starting to piss me off. Not only do most of these new laws do nothing to raise the public's nor individuals quality of life or make it any simpler, they are often in stark contrast to constitutional rights and liberties that are the core of liberal democracies and hard-earned lessons from previous generations. I am worried about the integrity of our political system when interest groups can so easily b(u)ypass popular vote and common sense.

[KaJuN]

This is even worse than the warning of "Professional driver. Closed course. Do not attempt." at the bottom of your screen as a car cruises through an empty parking lot at 10mph.

[H0nzik]

Originally Posted by anti-net

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/member...do?language=en

Find your MEP, tell them your not happy

It what the eco-nazis do, so lets play the same game!

EDIT: OK, I have 7 MEPs for the South West...which one do I contact, I really should have looked into the European Parliament before...

Oh, no need to in my case, really. Most of our MEPs are from the same party as the President (http://forums.finalgear.com/politica...-change-27559/), so I'm really not worried about their votes.

But yeah the eco-nazis do really misuse the EU. Here, they complain to the EC about the devastating effects of every other proposed motorway and try to convince them to decline the funding of it.

[Cobol74]

Well no EU money has ever funded any road here, ever. God I hate these snouts in troughs MEP time wasters.

[Quadrax]

In australia car advertising is not allowed to show the car going fast or driving dangerously. Due to the perception of dangerous driving being such a subjective thing, there have been some ridiculous rulings against some advertisements.

A mazda ad was pulled that showed 3 cars driving along a giant strip of empty beach. Apparently it looked like they were racing.

A mitsubishi ad was pulled that showed 3 cars driving along an off-road dirt track. The first 2 cars were RWD and oversteered off the road while cornering. The mitsubishi was AWD and made it round the corner safely supposedly due to it's extra grip. The point of the ad was demonstrating the safety of AWD but it was banned due to implying some sort of race between the 3 cars.

There are other examples but you get the idea. Ridiculous.

[thevictor390]

I can't think of an ad for a car that doesn't show the person enjoying it... otherwise it wouldn't be much of an ad. I really hope there was something lost in translation in the second sentence. (no offense, it was very good besides the weird upside-down quotes, how the hell did that happen? The original isn't like that.)

[Spectre]

Sounds like it might be time for a Tea Party in Europe.

[scathing]

Originally Posted by thevictor390

I can't think of an ad for a car that doesn't show the person enjoying it...

I can see it now.

"We can't pay someone to enjoy our car, but you should buy it anyway."

I hope this is satirical, but since Australia already has similar rules I'm going to assume its not.

[un-dee]

Thank god those nazis have nothing to decide. Still, I'm getting tired of this bullshit.

[airmenair]

So what's next? Banning movies with car chases and possible reckless behavior? What about actually racing? Are they going to ban commercials advertising motorsport? Ban motorsport? It is time someone put their foot down...

EDIT: Maybe the title should be changed to "Crazy EU: No more fun"

[prizrak]

If fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are so socially important, wouldn't companies already start advertising those? I mean any car commercial here (US) will give you MPG figures, and in tiny font state that it's not for the car you are looking at

This is such bullshit, car ads don't make me go 100+ on the roads, the fact that I want to do it does

[JipJopJones]

Instead of getting all up in arms about the possible effects of advertising, they should be focusing of building more open race tracks for the public so to get the people off the street and onto the track.

[DTMracer]

But than since when did governments do anything sensible or, god forbid, expensive?