- GR Yaris commercial pulled from Australian TV over safety rules.
- Regulators said the footage encouraged unsafe driving behavior.
- Ad joins 2021 ban over GR Yaris wheelspin in a parking garage.
Toyota is once again under scrutiny in Australia, this time for a television commercial promoting its GR Yaris hot hatch. Regulators pulled the ad from broadcast, ruling it in breach of the country’s motor vehicle advertising standards, reigniting a now-familiar tension between carmakers and Australian compliance codes.
In the commercial, the hot hatch appears in a remote, outback setting. The driver, suited up in a rally helmet and race gear, pulls into an imaginary fast-food joint called “Up’n Down Burgers” and casually orders a burger, fries, and a milkshake.
While the order is being prepared, the GR Yaris is driven enthusiastically on a gravel road. Finally, the driver grabs the package from the employee while performing an impressive jump.
More: Lexus’ New December To Remember Ad Celebrates The Past
After the jump, the car moves on to a port location, where rain-slick tarmac offers just enough traction for more sliding. The all-wheel-drive GR-Four system gets its moment, followed by a brief two-wheeled stunt before the GR Yaris finishes with a sideways stop next to a GR86 and GR Corolla.
What Counts As Dangerous?
That sequence caught the eye of Australian regulators. Following a complaint about unsafe driving practices, the ad was found to violate the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Code. The ruling noted that, if this sort of driving were carried out on public roads, it would almost certainly breach laws in any Australian state or territory.
Toyota Australia / YouTube
Toyota countered the decision by pointing out that the GR lineup has genuine motorsport pedigree. The brand said the commercial was clearly designed to echo “fantastical and unrealistic” rally-style driving, performed by professionals on closed roads, in vehicles that share DNA with its competition-spec Gazoo Racing cars.
More: If This Isn’t The Worst Car Ad Ever, What Is?
The automaker added that the driving was not meant to suggest real-world recklessness, but rather a showcase of what a capable driver could do under controlled conditions. The GR Yaris, they argued, was shown doing exactly what it was built to do, within a stylized, fictional context.
Nonetheless, regulators instructed the media agency involved to pull the ad from broadcast. So far, the clip has been taken off air, though it remains available on YouTube, where the fantastical burger run continues uninterrupted.
A Toyota Australia spokesperson issued the following statement to local outlet Drive: “Toyota Australia acknowledges the decision made by Ad Standards. The current GR Yaris advertisement has been discontinued while we make the necessary adjustments.”
Familiar Trouble in Australia
If any of this sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In 2021, another GR Yaris ad for the Australian market was also banned. That version showed the car spinning its wheels slightly while leaving a garage, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment that still led to its removal for promoting unsafe driving.
For manufacturers, the repeated infractions highlight just how strict the regulations have become in Australia, where marketing performance cars without actually showing performance has turned into an increasingly delicate balancing act.
And it’s not just an Australian phenomenon. In 2023, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority banned a Toyota Hilux commercial for suggesting drivers could go off-road without regard for their environmental impact. Once again, the car was shown doing what it’s designed to do, but not, evidently, what regulators want to see on screen.
