Have you seen the Jaecoo 5 ad on TV? It’s charming – a dog’s-eye view of a new car. On the manufacturer’s website there’s even a variety of dog-related accessories available to buy, including a foldable cage – what’s not to like!
Is that dog safe?
We spotted three red flags. The dog is wearing a harness when it jumps onto the back seat, but there’s no indication it’s been secured. It lies on a folded blanket, which is not a stable surface. And when the dog looks out of the window on the passenger side, it suggests it can move across the entire width of the car.
Yes, it’s an ad. But ads are influential, that’s the whole point. So we think the ad agency missed a trick. The car is pitched as a dog-friendly vehicle, so show the dog safe and secure. Because the risk in real life is just too high.
The ‘what if’ scenario
Let’s imagine the family has been enjoying a drive in the countryside. Rounding a sharp bend, there’s a tractor and trailer jacknifed across the road – there is nowhere to go. Heavy braking, a hard swerve, the car ends up in a ditch. As this happens, the dog is immediately unbalanced and thrown in all directions. It will be injured. Not to mention traumatised – open a door and the dog is likely to bolt in terror. And that is another horrific scenario no dog owner wants to contemplate.
And there’s more…
Harringtons’ TV advert for dog food includes a cute white dog sitting in the boot of a car. It looks like a very comfy, padded den – cue the ‘aaaah factor’. But as soon as the family drives off, that dog is at risk – there’s not even a dog guard installed behind the rear seats.
Now take a look at the image in a car insurance provider’s email to one of the Lintran team. Nice photo but no cage, crate or dog box in sight! If there’s a crash, that lovely dog could be seriously hurt.
What’s wrong with using a dog transit box?
Nothing, obviously! Maybe ad agencies feel dog transit boxes aren’t photogenic. But replace the dog with a young child in any of those ads and that child would be wearing a seatbelt or secured in a child car seat. Because that’s the law. So why is it different for dogs? Especially when Rule 57 of the Highway Code states that dogs should be suitably restrained in a vehicle?
Dog transit boxes aren’t the only way of keeping dogs safe in vehicles. But we’d argue that it’s one of the safest options. If you work in advertising and get a brief involving a dog and a vehicle, we beg you to do the right thing. Show the world your brand cares about dogs. Show them travelling safely. Better still, give Lintran a shout! From ready-made to custom-built, we’d love to help by supplying a dog transit box. And we promise the dog will still be the star!