NTSB is not targeting the latest anti-Tesla Super Bowl ad released by The Dawn Project. This is not the first time that the organization has done it.
Recently, it also ran a Super Bowl commercial featuring Tesla crash videos to encourage Americans to boycott the electric car manufacturer.
Andrew Whitworth #77 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on February 13, 2022 in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.
But, the National Transportation Safety Board is targeting the new anti-Tesla Super Bowl ad not because of the crash footage it includes.
NTSB officials are targeting it because The Dawn Project decided to use the seal of the U.S. government agency in its Super Bowl 2024 advertisement.
NTSB Targets Anti-Tesla Super Bowl Ad
According to Tech Crunch's latest report, the new anti-Tesla Super Bowl ad features NTSB's official seal. Because of this, the traffic safety agency ordered The Dawn Project to remove the logo and stop using it in its future advertisements.
"It has come to our attention that your second Super Bowl LVIII commercial airing on February 11, 2024, prominently - and unlawfully - displays the official seal of the National Transportation Safety Board," said NTSB via its official press release.
"In addition to its public airing, the commercial has been posted to your webpage, dawnproject.com, and to your YouTube page," added the agency.
The National Transportation Safety Board provided a screenshot of the ad it is complaining about. Based on the image, The Dawn Project placed the official logo of NTSB in the upper-left corner of the commercial while a video of the incident involving a Tesla hitting a child was being shown.
NTSB explained that what the organization did was contrary to federal law since it didn't obtain permission before using the logo. Since the seal usage was unauthorized, the transportation agency ordered The Dawn Project to cease any further unsanctioned use of its logo.
Why Dawn Project is Targeting Tesla
The Tesla logo is displayed on the hood of a Tesla car on May 20, 2019 in Corte Madera, California. Stock for electric car maker Tesla fell to a 2-1/2 year low after Wall Street analysts questioned the company's growth prospects.
For the past few years, The Dawn Project has been releasing commercials to campaign against the use of Tesla FSD (full self-driving).
The safety advocacy group is being funded by tech CEO Dan O'Dowd. Their main goal is to encourage people to boycott Tesla because they claim that the FSD feature has critical safety defects that can endanger drivers' lives.
The Dawn Project's anti-Tesla ads are no joke since it aired two commercials during the Super Bowl LVIII in Traverse City, Michigan; Santa Barbara, California; Dover, Delaware; and Washington, DC.
Experts said that airing the two advertisements in these areas cost The Dawn Project around $552,000. This just shows that the organization is willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to criticize Tesla.
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