The ad showed a front wing of a car against measurement lines on a wall. The text stated: "A Mercedes-Benz copy part may be used as evidence against you. Did you know that under current corporate legislation, fitting a copy part that later fails to perform as required in a collision could have significant consequences?" The copy of the ad followed with a pitch for genuine Mercedes-Benz body parts, concluding with the line "Any other choice could be criminal".
OE and aftermarket body panel supplier SEL-Imperial referred the advert to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on the grounds that the ad suggested parts such as the front wing had specific functions that they were required to perform in a collision. SEL complained that a large amount of research showed that these parts did not perform such functions. The firm also complained about the implication in the ad that fitting aftermarket panels could be a breach of the law.
Mercedes submitted a response to the ASA but, nonetheless, the Authority upheld the complaint and upheld that the advert broke the rules on the grounds of truthfulness and for making claims that could not be substantiated. It has ruled that the ad can't be printed again.