Traffic fine ad complaint dismissed

A REASONABLE viewer would not be offended by advertisements depicting sangomas‚ prophets and evangelists who promise to “kill the evil spirit of traffic fines”‚ an advertising body has ruled.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling follows a complaint lodged by Peter Tamplin against the Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA).

One of the commercials he complained about shows a man telling an evangelist: “I need these traffic fines gone.”

The evangelist replies: “Fear not‚ my brother; I will bless the 95 unleaded from your car. When you drink that 95‚ it will taste like the sweet wine of glory. After that‚ you will appear in front of me and I will spray you with insect spray. I will kill dead the evil spirit of traffic fines – ah. The devil is a liar! The devil is a liar!”

Tamplin argued that the advert poked fun at religious leader Lethebo Rabalagothe‚ the so-called Prophet of Doom, who encouraged worshippers to use insect spray to cure their troubles.

He said the ad sent a message to the public that faith workers were dishonest and not to be trusted.

The RTIA argued‚ on the other hand‚ that the advertising campaign was aimed at creating awareness about its service, and that the characters used in the adverts were all labelled fake.

Dismissing Tamplin’s complaint‚ the ASA said an advert must be considered from the viewpoint of the “hypothetical reasonable” viewer.

It said the advert sought to remind people to use the right solution for the right problem.