How many of you have seen the ad currently being run in The Times and elsewhere by HSBC?  Frankly I was shocked when I saw the advert which appears to condone the reckless adaptation of two potentially dangerous machines - motorcycle to a lawnmower.

I made a formal complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority (as an individual, rather than as a representative of Service Dealer). The gist of my complaint was that the lawnmower industry (and the motorcycle industry) spend millions on ensuring that the equipment they sell is safe to use - and meets the necessary regulatory standards.  The use of an image by a major international corporation that appears to condone the modification of two very different machines, each of which required extreme care to ensure safety to both operators/riders and bystanders, was highly irresponsible. The lack of any operator/rider protection in the image was also a factor.  

Yesterday, I received a response to my complaint from the ASA

‘We have reviewed the ad and noted it promoted a new service where consumers can apply for mortgage and potentially get an approval within a day. Whilst we appreciate your concern and take seriously any concerns that an ad might pose a risk of harm to consumers, we don’t consider it’s likely to forego consumers their usual safe practices when it comes to using, either a lawnmower or a bicycle, and it’s therefore unlikely to cause harm’

‘Not many people would have access to the equipment to break apart a lawnmower and a bicycle and then put them together to create the same object that is shown in the ad. The ad simply promoted a mortgage service with HSBC and we consider the wider audience will understand that the image displayed fantastical scenario rather than a realistic one. We would therefore conclude there are no grounds for us to investigate further and we won’t be taking any action’

To my mind that is not a satisfactory response. Over the years, ‘bright sparks’ have adapted mowers, often for fun.  Service Dealer reported recently on some guy losing a leg in the US as a result of larking about with a mower.  That’s a league away from a major international company supporting the practice.

I’d be interested in hearing any views from manufacturers or dealers, as I’m not sure whether to accept the ASA ruling without further challenge.

Please leave a comment below this article if you have a view on the advert.