Discrimination and vilification are the issues behind the ten most most complained about advertisements for the first six months of 2021.
The most complained about ad of the year so far showed a man urinating on a building in promotion of an online domain provider. The ad was removed.
Three of the ten advertisements listed were found by the Ad Standards Community Panel to breach the advertising Codes and Initiatives.
Complaints against two of these were upheld under the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Motor Vehicle Advertising Code for showing unsafe driving practices.
The advertisements received 496 complaints between them, the lowest in the history of Ad Standards’ reporting on mid-year complaint statistics.
Seventeen advertisements have already been withdrawn this year after advertisers voluntarily modified or discontinued the offending content.
Overall, Ad Standards had 2,245 complaints to the end of June, with 639 contributing to the 162 cases assessed by the Community Panel under one or more of the advertising Codes and Initiatives.
Tje ten most complained about:
Crazy Domains – TV – Free-to-air
The advertisement depicts a man urinating on a building.
Upheld
Number of complaints: 283
Issues of concern: 2.1 – Discrimination or vilification, 2.4 – Sex, sexuality or nudity, 2.6 – Health and safety
Aussie Broadband – TV – Free-to-air
There are multiple versions of this advertisement showing people in their gardens using a hose. The words "freaking" and "bloody" are used.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 74
Issues of concern: 2.1 – Discrimination or vilification, 2.5 – Language, 2.6 – Health and safety
South Australia Police – TV – Free-to-air
The advertisement follows a young man driving home from a pub. He passes a number of situations consistent with drink driving and in his interior monologue he can be heard calling himself a "selfish prick" for drink-driving.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 47
Issues of concern: 2.1 – Discrimination or vilification, 2.5 – Language
IAG Insurance – TV – Free-to-air
The advertisement documents two children’s actions to save the Koalas’ homes after discovering a number of trees have been marked for removal.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 17
Issues of concern: 2.6 – Health and safety
Huddle – TV – Free-to-air
There are three versions of this advertisement, two featuring a woman and her niece and one featuring a woman by a pool.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 16
Issues of concern: 2.1 – Discrimination or vilification, 2.5 – Language, 2.6 – Health and safety
Universal Pictures – TV – Free-to-air
There are two versions of this advertisement promoting the movie “The Conjuring – The Devil Made Me Do It”.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 15
Issues of concern: 2.3 – Violence
KIA Automotive Australia – TV – Free-to-air
The advertisement shows three vehicles driving together and simultaneously performing a J turn.
Upheld
Number of complaints: 15
Issues of concern: FCAI 2(a) – Unsafe driving, FCAI 2(b) – Breaking the speed limit
Volvo Car Australia – TV – Free-to-air
The advertisement features various scenes of parents running around after children. It then shows a woman falling asleep behind the wheel of a car and the car automatically engaging the Lane Keeping Aid.
Upheld
Number of complaints: 12
Issues of concern: FCAI 2(d) – Fatigue-drugs-alcohol, Code of Ethics 2.6 – Health and safety
eHarmony – TV – Free-to—air
The television advertisement has four versions featuring various couples.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 9
Issues of concern: 2.4 – Sex, sexuality or nudity, 2.6 – Health and safety
Reckitt Benckiser – TV – Free-to-air
The television ad depicts people using water in various different situations, with a voiceover stating facts about water usage in Australia and the #FinishWaterWaste initiative.
Dismissed
Number of complaints: 8
Issues of concern: AANA Environmental Code 1 – Truth and Factual, 3 – Substantiation
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