Complaint number: 25/243
Advertiser: Toyota New Zealand
Advertisement: Toyota, Live Television
Date of meeting: 11 November 2025
Outcome: Not Upheld – No further action required

Summary of the Complaints Board decision
The Complaints Board did not uphold a complaint about a Toyota advertisement which showed a ram being transported in a trailer. The Complaints Board acknowledged the Complainant’s concern but said in context, the scene in the advertisement had not met the threshold to encourage or condone a dangerous, illegal or unsafe practice and was not in breach of Principle 1 or Rule 1(e) of the Advertising Standards Code.

Description of advertisement
The Toyota, ‘Let’s Go Places’ television advertisement shows two billboard installers looking down on an intersection with a range of different Toyota vehicles. One of the vehicles is a Hilux towing a trailer with a mesh cage. In the trailer is a ram named Rodney. Rodney has a rope around his neck which is tied to the front of the trailer.

Summary of the complaint

• A sheep is being transported in a trailer that does not comply with animal welfare legislation
• Trailer does not provide shelter and horns could become caught in mesh sides
• Sheep is inappropriately restrained with a rope around its neck, which is not a legal or safe method
• This could encourage others to break the law and cause animal suffering

Relevant Codes: Advertising Standards Code, Principle 1 – Social Responsibility, Rule 1(e) – Safety

Issues raised:

• Social Responsibility
• Safety

Summary of the Advertiser’s response:

• The ram was never in the trailer while the vehicle was moving; a fake sheep was used for moving shots.
• The ram was always supervised, handled by a professional animal trainer, and given breaks for food and water.
• The ram is a tame, lead-trained pet, accustomed to travel and wearing a collar.
• For transport, the ram was loosely tethered for safety, following standard practice for short, local trips.
• The trailer met all requirements for short-distance, uncovered animal transport; no highway travel was involved.

Summary of the Media’s response

• The scene is light-hearted and designed to evoke familiarity and warmth, not to demonstrate animal transport methods.
• Rodney the Ram is clean, freshly washed, and wearing a collar with a loose lead. His calm demeanour and well-kept appearance suggest he is a show or pet animal, not part of a commercial farming operation.
• The trailer is a standard open Deck and Sides type, providing ample ventilation and commonly used for short-distance movements in fine weather. Rodney appears comfortable and shows no signs of distress or agitation.
• According to the Code of Welfare: Transport within New Zealand, expectations for shelter and restraint are proportionate to the duration and conditions of travel. For short trips in mild weather, open-sided trailers with adequate ventilation are widely accepted, provided the animal’s welfare is not compromised.
• There is no suggestion of risk or mistreatment in the advertisement. Nothing in the ad could reasonably be seen as encouraging others to disregard animal-welfare obligations.