Lion's detached talking mouth ad for Toohey's Extra Dry was the most complained about ad this year, followed by Vodafone's adults with kids' heads and Bonds' boobs ads coming in third. That's according to the ad watchdog.
Lion received 65 complaints, Vodafone attracted 42 complaints and Bonds' boobs got 36.
The top 10 attracted less complaints than in previous years and the Advertising Standards Bureau said this year's most complained about ads raised a “broader range” of issues that previous years. That suggests that it's not the same old stuff getting people angry.
But complainants were no less vehement. “Distasteful, stomach turning, vile and disgusting” were flung at the Lion ad while the rest of the top 10 prompted outrage that the images and content were: irrelevant, inappropriate, disrespectful and promote unsafe driving, violence, animal cruelty and the sexualisation of women and children.
ASB chief executive officer, Fiona Jolly, said: “In recent years there have been advertisements which have resulted in up to 220 complaints. Last year’s most complained about ad received more than double the complaints than this year’s number one.
Just two of the ads - Yellow Brick Road Super, which showed a mother being slapped by her child, and Nissan's for showing dangerous driving as a pregnant woman rushes to the hospital, breached the AANA Code of Ethics, however, meaning that while the ads might have offended viewers, most were still allowed to run.
Eight of the 10 most complained about ads were TV ads. Two were outdoor billboards.
Beyond the most complained about ads, 14.9% of the 455 ads investigated by the ASB were found to be in breach of the code.
For some of the more quirky complaints the ASB received this year, check out The Annual, our end of year flagship edition out today (16 December). Alongside out own top 10s, we've got some of Australia's top marketers ncluding Telstra's Mark Buckman, Kellogg's John Broome and Disney's Kylie Watson-Wheeler and leading talent including Kylie Kwong, Tom Waterhouse and Alan Jones on what's big for next year.
Additional copies of The Annual can be ordered through the Yaffa subscriptions team. Call now on 1800 807 760.
Most Complained about ads in 2013
TV ad featuring a man at a party whose mouth detaches from his face and jumps onto the bench and talks to him.
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 66
TV ad where kiddults are shown going to nightclubs in glittering dresses.
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 42
Billboard with plain black background, with white wording "boobs".
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 36
TV ad opens with female with a child in pram – child slaps woman.
Upheld - Modified or Discontinued. Number of complaints - 32
TV ad with Nissan Pulsar racing through streets to get pregnant woman to hospital and recording their fastest time – second version.
Upheld - Modified or Discontinued. Number of complaints - 31
TV ad where woman is taking her dog to a dog training class led by a male teacher.
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 24
TV ad where men with tattoos and women in underwear walk around against a white background and contemporary music playing.
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 24
8 Australian National Preventive Health Agency
TV ad shows a man struggling to breathe expanding. A voiceover suggests that this happens to people who smoke and that emphysema is a dreadful way to die.
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 23
TV ad where designer calls breasts "bangers".
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 23
Large outdoor poster showing a man posing with a large rifle. Wording reads "Electrician by Day - Hunter by Choice".
Dismissed. Number of complaints - 22
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