Australian footwear conglomerate Accent Group Limited has defended a complaint against a television advert that featured a woman driving a car and using a phone.
The TV advert promoted one of Accent Group’s managed brands Skechers, an American multinational footwear business.
In a complaint submitted to Ad Standards, it was claimed the advert encourages the use of mobile phones while driving, a punishable offence in Australia.
Accent Group responded to the complaint, stating its employees, advertising agencies and brand partners such as Skechers, “are acutely aware of our responsibility to the community in relation to the standard of our advertising and as such we take any complaints seriously.”
The footwear business argued that the advertisement did not breach the AANA Code of Ethics in any way.
“The advertisement is part of a 1980s retro-inspired campaign to promote Skechers Slip-Ins with Arch Support distributed in Australia by Accent Group,” the statement read. “The ad seeks to convey how Skechers’ new Slip-Ins technology with Arch Support has improved the way we wear shoes by drawing a comparison with the way technology has improved the way we use phones with the effect that we no longer use the outdated car phone whilst driving.”
Accent Group then rejected the complainant's concerns, noting two key reasons.
“First, the phone depicted is not a mobile phone but a historic car phone which is, to the best of our knowledge, no longer in production,” Accent Group explained. “For this reason, talking on a car phone is not something many people could be encouraged to do should they want to.
“Secondly, if the concern had been expressed alternatively more broadly as regarding holding a phone whilst driving, the purpose of the advertisement, rather than to encourage this behaviour, is to show that holding a phone whilst driving is a thing of the past thanks to improvements in phone technology, just like how improvements in Skechers’ technology means wearing uncomfortable shoes are a thing of the past.”
An Ad Standards Community Panel shared its own views on the advert and the concerns raising, ultimately leading to the complaint being dismissed.
“The Panel acknowledged that the use of mobile phones while driving is illegal and against road safety messaging,” the panel statement read. “The Panel considered that the general community would consider driving while using a phone to be unsafe.
“However, the Panel noted that the phone in the advertisement was clearly an old carphone and not a modern mobile phone. The Panel noted that the scene showing the phone being used was clearly set in the past, which was reinforced through the use of retro clothing and the words, ‘back in the day’.
“The Panel considered that the behaviour was identified as taking place in the past, and the advertisement does not suggest that such behaviour is appropriate today.
“Overall, the Panel considered the advertisement does not promote or condone the use of mobile phones while driving and was not contrary to prevailing community standards on health and safety.”
Accent Group manages over 30 footwear brands and retailers, including Skechers, Platypus, Hype DC and Glue Store.