Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2014 | Page 70

Advertising complaints statistics
In 2014 the ASB received
5,735 complaints, almost
double the number of
complaints (2,773) in 2013
and the highest number
of complaints since the
establishment of the ASB. The
previous highest number of
complaints was recorded in
2006, with 4,044.

From the 5735 complaints the board considered
515 advertisements with an additional
30 withdrawn by advertisers before Board
consideration. Of the 545 advertisements
considered, 62 of these advertisements were found
to be in breach of the Code.
Although complaint numbers were higher than
ever before, the actual number of advertisements
complained about was not higher than the
average. While the number of advertisements
complained about was an increase from the total
442 advertisements complained about in 2013, it
was not as high as in 2009 when the ASB received
complaints about 595 separate advertisements.
In 2014 discrimination and vilification was the
most complained about issue, accounting for
27.61 per cent of complaints. The “ick” factor in
advertisements created another first, with the
category of “Other” receiving the second highest
percentage of complaints at 16.61 per cent. Sex,
sexuality and nudity came in third highest with
14.27 per cent.
The most complained about product category in
2014 was automotive which accounted for 20.5
per cent of all complaints. This is due to a small
number of advertisements receiving a higher
number of complaints.
While the percentage of complaints received from
most States and Territories remained consistent
with previous years, there was a significant
increase in complaints from NSW (31.77 percent
in 2013 to 37.63 per cent in 2014) which can be
attributed to a series of advertisements shown
only in that State. Also significant was a six per
cent drop in complaints from Queensland, from
20.84 per cent in 2013 to 14.58 per cent in 2014.

68

Number of advertisements
considered and outcome
of complaints
Of the total 5,735 complaints received,
2,047 complaints were in relation to
advertisements previously considered by the
Board. Of the 2,047 complaints about already
considered advertisements, 209 complaints were
related to advertisements considered by the Board
prior to 2014.
A total of 174 complaints were assessed as raising
issues under the Code of Ethics that the Board
has consistently considered not in breach of
the Codes.
A total of 4177 complaints were received about
the 515 advertisements considered by the Board.
There were 202 complaints against the
62 ads which were found to breach the Code
with the remaining 454 ads accounting for
3981 complaints.
Compared to the total number of ads considered
by the Board, the number of ads found to
breach the code equated to an upheld rate of
12.04 per cent.
On receiving advice that there had been a
complaint 30 advertisers removed their ad prior to
consideration by the Board, up from 17 in 2013.
When complaint 2v