Top Gear Cenotaph Stunt Broke BBC Ad Rules By Using Car Plastered With Promos ‘Worth Millions’
The Top Gear Cenotaph stunt row is still rumbling on.
It’s emerged show bosses not only outraged defence veterans with the ill-judged ‘donut’ sketch, they also flouted BBC advertising guidelines.
Top Gear gave firms millions of pounds worth of free advertising by using a Mustang plastered in promotions and brand logos.
Former comedy favourite Matt LeBlanc hasn’t made any friends over his Cenotaph ‘donut’ stunt.
Monster energy drink, Ford and rally team Hoonigan were among the names shown on the motor new Top Gear host Matt LeBlanc raced around London’s Cenotaph.
Others on the hired car included Toyo Tires and camera giant GoPro.
PR guru Mark Borkowski told The Sun newspaper: “The ad value to Monster alone is multiple millions. It should be covered. It’s a massive error.”
Evans has apologised on behalf of his co-host, who left skid marks near the memorial that need cleaned.
The BBC bans shows from using their platform to advertise products.
Footage of the prank at the war memorial, revealed earlier this week, has now been viewed online by hundreds of thousands.
Some people still like him.
Top Gear, co-hosted by Chris Evans, will not use it on TV – despite the stunt costing licence fee payers at least £100,000.
The BBC said of the ad row: “Such cars, like F1 and rally cars, always have sponsor logos.”
