Bentley ad pulled following complaint

Bentley has been forced to pull one of its films from YouTube following a complaint to Australia’s Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB).

The film depicted Australian racing legend John Bowe hitting 330km/h on a section of the Stuart Highway in a Bentley Continental GT Speed.

Bentley has pulled the ad from its YouTube channel, but the video remains available through other outlets.

Despite the section of road being within the Northern Territory’s unrestricted speed zone, Bentley closed the road for the filming of the ad with the co-operation of the NT government.

At the beginning of the ad a disclaimer states that Bowe drove in “controlled circumstances” and that the car was “thoroughly checked before the run.”

The complaint was lodged by long-time anti-speeding campaigner Harold Scrubby, chairman of the Pedestrian Council, who said he believed the ad glorified speed and showed “incredibly dangerous” behaviour.

The ASB found the ad to be in breach of its standards due to portraying someone driving in excess of speed limits in most of Australia.