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MS pulled over for 'dangerous driving' Xbox ad

UK advertising watchdog the Advertising Standards Authority has rapped Microsoft on the knuckles for fielding a TV ad for the Xbox 360 which "gave the impression that reckless street car racing was exciting and fun".

Reckless street car racing is indeed exciting and fun - well, we assume so on the basis of playing Carmageddon all those years ago - but the ASA holds that no one should glamorise the activity or condone it. At least not in an advert. In its judgement, the Microsoft promotional message did both.

The organisation noted that Microsoft had indeed made it clear on screen that the driving shown was staged and performed by "professional drivers". The ad also warned gormless teens not to attempt to copy the actions shown, and was broadcast after 9pm, when it's assumed here that youngsters are all in bed. Dreaming of presenting Top Gear, presumably...

These points were in the software giant's favour, but not enough to warrant allowing the ad to be shown again. Or else.

The ASA received just one complaint about the ad.