The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2025
BYD named the VW Polo in ads, then mocked CONAR's censure with a beep — campaign suspended
Nov 2025: Brazil's CONAR unanimously suspended BYD ads — 'depreciates 60% less than the Polo', 'parts 50% faster' — and warned the beep-censored re-run.
BYD · Volkswagen · 2025-11-18
What happened
BYD Brasil ran comparative ads for its Dolphin Mini claiming the model 'depreciates 60% less than the best-selling car in the retail segment, the VW Polo', that parts replacement was '50% faster than competitors', and that BYD had 'the happiest customers' and was 'the #1 brand in satisfaction in Brazil.' The claims named Volkswagen's Polo directly.
CONAR's ethics council, acting on Representação nº 226/25, unanimously ordered the suspension of the campaign, aggravated by a warning — 'sustação agravada por advertência'. Volkswagen and BYD had already sparred over the ads; Audi had filed the earlier complaint that led to a prior warning.
BYD's response was a follow-up spot that replaced the word 'Polo' with a censoring beep while showing polo-sport imagery — a provocation that the council included in the same suspension. BYD said it would not comment on the ruling. Because CONAR is a self-regulatory body, the sanction is suspension and admonition, not a monetary fine.
Why it happened
- Comparative claims named a competitor directly, with quantified depreciation, parts-speed and satisfaction superiority that the council found unsupported.
- A prior warning for naming the Polo did not stop the practice; the follow-up swapped the name for a beep and polo imagery, which the council read as the same provocation.
- The 'happiest customers' and '#1 satisfaction' superlatives went beyond the data the campaign could substantiate.
The lesson
A comparative ad that names a rival and quantifies superiority invites the regulator; turning the censure itself into a joke ('we can't say Polo') turns a suspension into a second offense.
Aftermath
CONAR upheld the suspension with a warning on 18 November 2025. BYD declined to comment. The case is a benchmark for how Brazil's self-regulatory body treats direct competitor comparison and how a brand's 'clever' response to a ruling can compound the penalty.
Sources
- Quatro Rodas — Rixa entre VW e BYD faz Conar suspender comercial do Dolphin Mini
- AdNews — Conar suspende campanhas da BYD e aplica advertência por comparações agressivas
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