The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a paid-for Facebook ad from Currys after ruling it misled consumers and was socially irresponsible.
The advert, seen on 10 May 2025, featured a video that opened with a cropped shot of a person gripping handlebars, their hair blowing back while engine sounds played.
A wider shot revealed the individual was on a stationary e-scooter inside a Currys store, with two others moving the scooter and holding a fan towards them.
The trio then said: “Currys sells what now?” The clip ended with an image of the retailer’s website listing for an e-scooter, accompanied throughout by the tagline: “imagine pulling up on this! E-scooters available at Currys.”
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A complainant challenged the ad on the grounds that it was misleading and irresponsible, pointing out that privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use in public places.
Currys argued the advert was clearly filmed in-store, aligning with Department for Transport (DfT) guidance that e-scooters may only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. The retailer described the campaign as comedic and exaggerated, insisting the line “imagine pulling up on this” was ironic and not intended to imply road use. Currys also confirmed the ad had since been withdrawn.
The ASA, however, upheld both complaints. It found that despite the in-store setting, the imagery and caption suggested the scooters could be used to “arrive somewhere in style”, implying public road use. The regulator said the ad omitted vital information about legal restrictions, leading consumers to believe the scooters could be used in public.
On the first point, the watchdog concluded the ad was misleading, breaching CAP Code rules 3.1, 3.3 and 3.9 on misleading advertising.
On the second, it ruled the ad socially irresponsible, as it appeared to condone behaviour likely to be unlawful by implying e-scooters could be ridden on public roads. This breached CAP Code rule 1.3 on social responsibility.
The ASA ordered that the ad must not appear again in its original form and instructed Currys to ensure future marketing made clear that privately owned e-scooters cannot be used on public roads or in public spaces.
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