Conar (National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation) opened this Monday, July 10, an ethical representation against the campaign “VW Brasil 70: The new came again”, which is the responsibility of Volkswagen do Brasil and its agency, AlmapBBDO.
The campaign, launched on July 3, recreated the image of singer Elis Regina, who died in 1982, to sing, in a duet with her daughter, Maria Rita, the song Como Nosso Pais, by Belchior.
According to Conar, consumers question whether it is ethical or not to use technological tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to bring dead people back to life, as carried out in the campaign.
Whistleblowers also question whether such use may cause confusion between fiction and reality for some, particularly children and teenagers. Conar protects the identity of whistleblowers, according to the General Data Protection Law
Lawyer Gabriel de Britto Silva sent to Estadão the complaint that he sent to Conar, and which was considered by the body.
In it, Silva says that the emotion caused by the commercial also generates discomfort. “It is not even known if it was alive, Elis authorizes the image, even more so for a car manufacturer and for strictly commercial purposes”, says part of the text.
The complainant also claims that the use of tools such as Artificial Intelligence and deep fake, used to recreate Elis’s face and movements with the help of an actress, needs to be discussed by society and regulated by the competent bodies.
“Technology does not bring deceased people back. It is up to the living who operate the machines to be regulated by the living who receive the consequence of this operation, under penalty of the effects being more unpredictable than the most advanced technology can suppose”, says another excerpt from the complaint.
The author of this representation also questions the fact that the advertisement shows Maria Rita and Elis driving inattentively behind the wheel, which violates one of the annexes of the articles of the Conar Code.
“In automobile advertising (…) The advertisement will not be allowed to contain suggestions for using the vehicle that may endanger the personal safety of the user and third parties, such as (…) disrespect (…) to the traffic rules in general”.
As a rule, Conar judges representations within a period of up to 45 days. O Estadão sought the VW press office and awaits the company’s position on open representation against the advertising campaign.
The two-minute long Volkswagen commercial divided opinions about the use of the singer’s image, as well as the use of the song Como Nosso Pais, by Belchior.
