Ford rapped over misleading James Bond car advert

Car company Ford has been criticised by the advertising watchdog for wrongly implying its Focus model featured in Bond blockbuster Casino Royale - reports the BBC.

An advert for the Ford Focus Zetec Climate used footage from the hit film, which actually features the Mondeo car.

The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) upheld two complaints from viewers who felt the advert was misleading.

Ford defended the advert, saying it clearly featured the Focus Zetec Climate's name, price and image.

The car giant was among a number of companies which signed deals to promote its products on the back of the James Bond film.

The ASA ruled: "We considered that, because of the difficulty in differentiating between the two cars, the ad was likely to give the misleading impression that the Focus Zetec Climate was used in the film Casino Royale, which could make it more attractive to some viewers."

It ordered Ford not to show the advert again in its current form.

Casino Royale has become the most successful James Bond film at the box office, generating $593m (£308m) in cinemas worldwide so far.

The film, which saw Daniel Craig make his debut as 007, surpassed the former record of $431m (£220m) set by Die Another Day in 2002.

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