R.M. Williams Instagram post found in breach of standards

An Instagram post for R.M. Williams has been removed after breaching Ad Standards' health and safety codes.

Ad Standards said: "A complaint was received on the grounds that quad bike accidents are the leading cause of death on Australian farms. Legislation is clear on the requirement to wear helmets and install rollover bars on quad bikes. None of the people shown riding this quad bike are wearing helmets."

The post was found to have breached Section 2.6 of the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics.

Ad Standards said: "The Panel considered that quad bike accidents and injuries are of significant concern to the Australian community. The Panel acknowledges that the ad's intent may not have been to influence community behaviour.

"However, the Panel considered that the scenes depicted showed that neither the driver nor his two passengers were wearing helmets.

"The Panel also noted that the passengers do not appear to be holding onto anything to support their stability.

It added that, "In the context of vehicle safety, and with the knowledge that quad bikes are notoriously easy to roll over, leading to accidents, injuries or fatalities, the Panel considered that these scenes were in direct conflict with community standards on health and safety.

"The Panel considered that this was problematic regardless of whether the setting was on a rural property, a farm, or in a city environment."

The ad has been fully removed from all channels.

Screenshot of the now-deleted post. Image: Instagram

R.M. Williams post breaches advertising standards

R.M. Williams responded to the complaint:

“The [ad] is a lifestyle brand piece depicting a Christmas holiday set in a rural Australian environments and people wearing R. M. Williams apparel.

“It forms part of a broader brand storytelling campaign celebrating connection to family, regional life, and craftsmanship.

“The advertisement includes scenes showing adults using quad bikes within rural settings as part of everyday regional activity. These scenes are contextual in nature and contribute to the overall lifestyle narrative.

“The primary focus of the advertisement is apparel, family connection, and character, not the promotion of quad bike use or riding behaviour.”

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