A brand of bikes condemns censorship of an ad for anti-cars in France

The French authority of regulation of the advertising request to make changes to the advertising spot, which was aired without a problem in Germany and the netherlands.

The Dutch manufacturer of electric bicycles VanMoof has denounced Tuesday a notice from the French authority of regulation of advertising asking him to change a spot judged to be anti-cars. This announcement has provoked a debate on social networks in a boom in the use of the bicycle in France, and in the full thrust of the ideas environmentalists, while the pressure increases to reduce automobile traffic in the city.

The commercial, licensed and already released in the netherlands and Germany, sets the scene of the reflected images on the bodywork of a motor sports. We are awarded of the old factory chimneys smoking, a traffic jam, an accident, then the car turns into a liquid, leaving a bicycle of the brand.

VanMoof suspect the Authority of regulating professional advertising (ARPP) to defend the interests of the automotive industry. "The decision of the ARPP is quite disturbing. It pushes us to question the legitimacy of this body, which apparently represents the interests of some sectors and some companies," said Alfa-Claude Djalo, public relations officer of the company. "

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It was the feeling of having been censored". "The spot has been broadcasted in the netherlands and in Germany. Gold Germany it is an industry renowned car and there has been no concern" in this country, he added. VanMoof does not intend to appeal or bring the case before the courts. The company "prefers to give public visibility" to what she "sees as a drift."

"Climate anxiety"

"Some plans present in the reflection of the car appear, in our view, disproportionate, and cast a discredit on the whole of the automotive sector, putting the only one involved (...) while creating a climate of anxiety. They will therefore have to be modified," wrote the ARPP, in an email. This authority invokes the "code ICC advertising and marketing of the international Chamber of commerce," which "prohibits any exploitation of feelings of fear or suffering in commercial advertisements".

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"It is not allowed to make any changes, because we don't want to misrepresent our video and make a watered-down version that would do pleasure to the French automotive industry," said Alfa-Claude Djalo. "From the outset, we knew that this spot would not be a publicity lambda for bikes. It is a call to action, a chance to leave the past behind us and make real progress that will benefit all.te.s. Question the status quo will always be contention, but that was our objective from the beginning," said Taco Carlier, co-founder of VanMoof, was quoted in a press release.

"For the dissemination of a television advertisement, the ARPP issued before broadcasting a notice systematic (24.320 opinion in 2019). But in the end the responsibility of dissemination reports of media and platforms," said AFP Stéphane Martin, director-general of the ARPP. "This is why the manipulation of censorship is only an artifice well known by some players to have free publicity", he accused.

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Association loi 1901 independent of public authorities, the ARPP is funded by contributions from 800 member companies. It is administered by the representatives of the professions of advertising (advertisers, agencies, media, boards etc). "Three-quarters of the top 100 advertisers investing in communication are members of the ARPP", is it stated on its website.