It’s the latest in a series of environmentally focused rulings by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority, which has also nixed ads from Lufthansa, HSBC and Unilever.
For those wondering, the ad there says born to roam. Now, roaming is a loaded word in the UK. The country is a mix of ancient rights of way and private property. And the people who like to exercise their right to walk on ancient rights of way - coastal paths, routes through the countryside - are very attached to those rights. Those rights, being ancient, are also so deeply woven into our statute books as to be nigh on impossible to remove.
On the other side, you have the landowners. Particularly the rich new landowners who have just bought a massive clifftop property with spectacular views, and who aren’t too happy to see pensioners with flasks of tea and a damp spaniel wandering through their gardens.
So there has been an ongoing battle between the ‘right to roam’ movement, and landowners. I emigrated years ago, so am not up to date, but I’m pretty sure the right to roam guys still have the upper hand.
On top of that, you have additional problems related to offroading (the right to roam guys are almost exclusively footpaths and bridle paths). There simply aren’t the massive open tracts of land you can just go driving through that you would find in the US or Oz. British is densely populated and old, so it’s all been divided up. These problems are exemplified by ‘greenlaning’. As I recall it, there were certain routes that were open to offroading, and people used to go and have fun. But then a couple of things happened. You had more of the nimbyism of landowners not wanting people to have fun on their property, and you had some of the walkers and horseridees who decided that they should be the only ones using those routes. There were also some dicks took it to far and either went and completely mashed up some routes, or took other routes that they shouldn’t have, and that brought things to a head, leading to plenty of these routes closing down, and a bunch of pissed off 4x4 guys.
(Then of course there’s dickhead teenagers on dirt bikes).
So that’s the story of why the advert got banned - the particular word ‘roam’, and an uneasy relationship between he 4x4 guys and landowners / authorities. As best I remember, at least
It is in Canada. That’s what crown land is. But I don’t think there is much at all in the UK. Almost all the outdoors we think of in the national parks is farmland. Almost everything is privately owned but we still have access rights.
Alone, yes, but not necessarily if they band together in a large group to represent their interests, and traditionally rambler’s associations and other such groups have had strong connections to the labour movement and socialist politics for exactly that reason in the UK, and have been able to win certain freedoms (whether that’s about protecting rights of way across land, or about workers rights, the “apes together strong” thing does actually have a lot of truth to it)
My granddad, god rest his soul was very active in his local rambler’s association (and they won a fair few battles against land owners, about keeping public rights of way open, and well signposted).
You’re right that governments don’t really care about or give anything to the common people out of beneficence, that’s why organising communities and workplaces is so important
Reddit is fully of young, anxious people, some of whom will even grow up to be rich. I honestly think that what we’re witnessing here is exactly what the eggheads refer to as “atomization” and “free-floating anxiety”. Everyone’s so insecure all the time (sometimes, but not always because of material poverty) that they latch on to the first thing they see that passes for a villain.
(I’m probably doing a bit of that too, right here, right now.)
It’s pointless arguing with someone so deeply ingrained with the victim mentality who has already decided all their problems are due to one particular scapegoat.
You think the hikers and right to roam activists, whose main cause involves taking on landowners and opposing the extension of private property rights over public rights of way, represent “rich people with connections”? Lol
Similarly in the UK’s “slightly commie old nature enjoyers” vs “4x4 owners” battle, which side do you think is the one with more money, lol
This isn’t a simple “rich & connected” vs “poor and powerless” battle at all really, more a clash of values (between 2 vague coalitions that contain disparate groups themselves, both rich & poor), but even if you did oversimplify it to that, I think it would as a first order approximation be more like the opposite of the way you’re painting it than the way round you have it there. Generally the automotive lobby is the one representing moneyed interests, & for big 4x4 cars (a luxury good & status item for the upper middle class in the UK) even moreso.
Nope. Left as soon as I could after I graduated high school.
I have millions of acres of national forest in my backyard in Washington. Places so remote I could go there on a weekend and see no one until my drive home.
Oh, got it! That sounds lovely! How far is the nearest store, hospital and stuff though? That seems to be my main concern if I ever lived that isolated.
This is completely wrong. It was banned because of environmental damage that it was projecting. The ASA has teeth as a regulator and does actually ban advertising that is harmful or misleading.
See the guardian article which this Bloomberg one was clearly based on for the actual story.
For those wondering, the ad there says born to roam. Now, roaming is a loaded word in the UK. The country is a mix of ancient rights of way and private property. And the people who like to exercise their right to walk on ancient rights of way - coastal paths, routes through the countryside - are very attached to those rights. Those rights, being ancient, are also so deeply woven into our statute books as to be nigh on impossible to remove.
On the other side, you have the landowners. Particularly the rich new landowners who have just bought a massive clifftop property with spectacular views, and who aren’t too happy to see pensioners with flasks of tea and a damp spaniel wandering through their gardens.
So there has been an ongoing battle between the ‘right to roam’ movement, and landowners. I emigrated years ago, so am not up to date, but I’m pretty sure the right to roam guys still have the upper hand.
On top of that, you have additional problems related to offroading (the right to roam guys are almost exclusively footpaths and bridle paths). There simply aren’t the massive open tracts of land you can just go driving through that you would find in the US or Oz. British is densely populated and old, so it’s all been divided up. These problems are exemplified by ‘greenlaning’. As I recall it, there were certain routes that were open to offroading, and people used to go and have fun. But then a couple of things happened. You had more of the nimbyism of landowners not wanting people to have fun on their property, and you had some of the walkers and horseridees who decided that they should be the only ones using those routes. There were also some dicks took it to far and either went and completely mashed up some routes, or took other routes that they shouldn’t have, and that brought things to a head, leading to plenty of these routes closing down, and a bunch of pissed off 4x4 guys.
(Then of course there’s dickhead teenagers on dirt bikes).
So that’s the story of why the advert got banned - the particular word ‘roam’, and an uneasy relationship between he 4x4 guys and landowners / authorities. As best I remember, at least
Aint readin that essay
That’s the equivalent of state/federal land.
Crown means its public land. The crown refers to the country as a whole, not the monarchy.
Over 60% of the UK is crown land. Even where the land is farmed its held in “leasehhold”, meaning they cannot prevent public access.
It is in Canada. That’s what crown land is. But I don’t think there is much at all in the UK. Almost all the outdoors we think of in the national parks is farmland. Almost everything is privately owned but we still have access rights.
You’d need an awful lot of walkers and horse riders to mash up a trail to the extent a single off road 4WD vehicle would.
At least a 4x4 generally only leaves two tracks. Bikers and horses leave a totally impassable road.
All these people down voting you having seen horse tracks when it’s wet.
If you don’t go out when it’s wet it’s not that bad at all, just ban going on most trails when they’re wet, problem solved
This is the UK we are talking about, they would be shut 354 days of the year!
In the UK, it probably rains 362 days of the year, it’s always wet
That has happened a lot now here in the UK. All of the remaining green lanes, at least where I live, are shut in the winter months.
this explains land rover range rover perfectly
in otherwords rich people with connections got it banned
I think even the poor would be pretty pissed if you drove through their backyard making a mess of the land they take pride in maintaining.
yea but politicians and other people with power dont give a shit about the poor
Why does that matter in this case when their ideals of landownership align?
because if a poor person was complaining noone would listen.
Alone, yes, but not necessarily if they band together in a large group to represent their interests, and traditionally rambler’s associations and other such groups have had strong connections to the labour movement and socialist politics for exactly that reason in the UK, and have been able to win certain freedoms (whether that’s about protecting rights of way across land, or about workers rights, the “apes together strong” thing does actually have a lot of truth to it)
My granddad, god rest his soul was very active in his local rambler’s association (and they won a fair few battles against land owners, about keeping public rights of way open, and well signposted).
You’re right that governments don’t really care about or give anything to the common people out of beneficence, that’s why organising communities and workplaces is so important
What you mean the real UK isn’t what its like in Forza Horizon 4 where I do exactly that!
You mean the right to roam simulator?
No. Off-roading in general is not legal as long as it‘s not allowed on a particular private property.
Really, that’s all you gleaned from this?
Reddit hates anyone who worked hard and has more money than them.
Reddit is fully of young, anxious people, some of whom will even grow up to be rich. I honestly think that what we’re witnessing here is exactly what the eggheads refer to as “atomization” and “free-floating anxiety”. Everyone’s so insecure all the time (sometimes, but not always because of material poverty) that they latch on to the first thing they see that passes for a villain.
(I’m probably doing a bit of that too, right here, right now.)
ah yes rich people in the UK definitely worked hard for their money and weren’t born into it….
yes? same reason why a ton of laws and such in the US gets passed is the rich people get pissy.
Yep, the NIMBYS that want wind farms, but not on my Pugent Sound! It will spoil my ocean view!
NIMBY and ocean view don’t mix. One is talking about suburbs and the other a beachside home.
It’s pointless arguing with someone so deeply ingrained with the victim mentality who has already decided all their problems are due to one particular scapegoat.
… no, not at all?
You think the hikers and right to roam activists, whose main cause involves taking on landowners and opposing the extension of private property rights over public rights of way, represent “rich people with connections”? Lol
Similarly in the UK’s “slightly commie old nature enjoyers” vs “4x4 owners” battle, which side do you think is the one with more money, lol
This isn’t a simple “rich & connected” vs “poor and powerless” battle at all really, more a clash of values (between 2 vague coalitions that contain disparate groups themselves, both rich & poor), but even if you did oversimplify it to that, I think it would as a first order approximation be more like the opposite of the way you’re painting it than the way round you have it there. Generally the automotive lobby is the one representing moneyed interests, & for big 4x4 cars (a luxury good & status item for the upper middle class in the UK) even moreso.
You took him explaining right to roam laws and turned it into rich people did this?
Jesus christ.
Sounds like a commie country.
Couldn’t be me.
eagles and F-35s fly overhead in formation
WHAT THE FUCK IS A KILOMETER 🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸
You ever try offroading in Texas? All land is private, it’s trash.
Nope. Left as soon as I could after I graduated high school.
I have millions of acres of national forest in my backyard in Washington. Places so remote I could go there on a weekend and see no one until my drive home.
Am I reading this wrong or do you own a million+ acres?
Oh, I wish. It’s US Forest Service land.
Oh, got it! That sounds lovely! How far is the nearest store, hospital and stuff though? That seems to be my main concern if I ever lived that isolated.
This is completely wrong. It was banned because of environmental damage that it was projecting. The ASA has teeth as a regulator and does actually ban advertising that is harmful or misleading.
See the guardian article which this Bloomberg one was clearly based on for the actual story.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/nov/22/toyota-suv-adverts-banned-in-uk-on-environmental-grounds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other