Currys' 'imagine pulling up on this' e-scooter ad was banned as irresponsible

A paid Facebook ad for Currys, seen on 10 May 2025, opened with a cropped shot of a person gripping handlebars, hair blowing back over an engine sound. A wider shot revealed a stationary e-scooter inside a shop, with two staff moving it and holding a fan to fake motion. All three said 'Currys sells what now?', and a tagline ran throughout: 'imagine pulling up on this! E-scooters available at Currys'.

A complainant challenged the ad as misleading and irresponsible: privately owned e-scooters are illegal on UK roads and pavements, and can only be ridden on private land with the owner's permission, or in limited licensed rental schemes. The ASA upheld both complaints on 24 September 2025, finding the ad implied public use, omitted material information about the legal restrictions, and condoned likely unlawful behaviour — breaching CAP Code rules 3.1, 3.3, 3.9 and 1.3.

Currys argued the video was 'comedic' and 'ironic', filmed entirely in-store, and that the ad had already been withdrawn. The ASA was unmoved: the joke was precisely the illegal use case. The ad must not appear again, and Currys was told to ensure future ads never imply private e-scooters can be ridden on public roads.