ASA rejects mistreatment concerns over dog in VW ad

A VW Polo ad featuring a singing dog has sparked 500 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), but the regulator says it will not investigate.

The 30-second execution by DDB London features a Jack Russell “singing” in the front seat of a car, but then cuts to shots of the animal shaking and cowering by his owner’s legs and mumbling the song under its breath when it is no longer in the vehicle.

The ASA says it has received more than 500 complaints from members of the public and animal rights campaigners concerned the dog had been mistreated. However, it says it will not take any action as the advertiser confirmed that vets were on hand throughout the filming and that the two dogs used in the ad were “highly trained”.

• The ASA has also received more than two dozen complaints about a Visa ad featuring a naked man who wakes up in the desert after his stag night, and then runs cross country to his wedding.

The body has yet to decide whether to investigate the ad created by Saatchi & Saatchi.

• Complaints about a Lowe ad for Innocent Smoothies have been rejected by the ASA. Pepsico’s agency DDB London, rival producer Smoothie Revolution as well as two members of the public claimed the ads were misleading about the health benefits of smoothies in comparison to fruit juice.

The ASA found the ad attempted to illustrate the different processes in making smoothies and juice and agreed that Innocent’s claim that its product was “even better for you” than juice was acceptable.