No Thanks to The Tanks

National

3 Nov

“No Thanks to The Tanks. Why This Aggressive Car Ad Crossed the Line”

A car company is promoting Tank Clubs and telling people to “Be More Tank” in an aggressive ad campaign targeting children.

This week, we submitted a formal complaint to the Australian Advertising Standards regulator about a new ad campaign by GWM. You might have seen it on billboards or online. The campaign is built around the slogan “Be More Tank”—a rallying cry that encourages people to adopt an aggressive, dominant, almost militaristic approach to life, using a huge SUV as their symbol.

People are invited to create a “TANK CLUB” to create and share content. The marketing head said “We are not just launching a machine, but a mantra that can be whispered to yourself or SHOUTED AT OTHERS” (our emphasis).

In one video ad, a child sees the billboard, whispers “be more tank” while scrolling through vehicle images on an iPad at night, then breaks down their front door dressed like a warrior—so aggressively that their mother jumps in the car to escape. It’s framed as “fun”. But we find it deeply disturbing.

Why we’re upset

Australia’s road toll is rising. Over 1,200 people die and 40,000 are seriously injured on our roads every year. Pedestrians, especially children, are among the most vulnerable. At a time when communities are calling for safer streets, advertising that glorifies aggression behind the wheel sends exactly the wrong message.

We believe this ad breaches the FCAI’s Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising, which specifically bans portrayals of unsafe or reckless driving, and bans promoting vehicles in a way that contradicts road safety principles.

What we’ve done

We’ve filed a formal complaint with the Ad Standards Community Panel, asking them to review the campaign and its compliance with Australia’s advertising codes. A copy of our letter is here

We’re also calling on car companies and ad agencies to lift their game. Cars are powerful machines—and the way we talk about them matters.

Promoting road safety and protecting people on foot shouldn’t be controversial. Let’s choose ads that build community, not destroy it.