ASA upholds Subaru claim of imitation

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The Subaru campaign, created in May last year, plays on the stereotypical behaviour of taxi drivers in South Africa, using vehicle decals sporting statements such as “I stop anywhere anytime”, “I may turn left I may turn right, you never know!” and “I may cross three lanes at once!”, all followed by Subaru branding and the payoff line “Whatacountry Whatacar”.

The Michelin Tyres campaign, which made use of bumper stickers placed on taxis, used very similar lines, such as “I just crossed three lanes to check your Michelins, braa!”

The ASA ruled that Cross Colours “created a unique, or rather original concept which was central to its theme. The respondent's advertising (for Michelin Tyres) is based on exactly the same premise.”

Given this, the Directorate ruled that the Michelin campaign is an imitation of the Subaru campaign and therefore in contravention of Clause 9 of Section II of the Code.