Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2014 | Page 72

Who is complaining?
In 2014 females were more likely to complain
than males, with 63.84 per cent of complaints
coming from females. This is consistent with 2013.
Although complaints from males (35.71 per cent)
dropped by almost three per cent from the
previous year this percentage is still significantly
higher than the lowest percentage in 2010 in
which only 29.90 per cent of complaints were
from males.

35.71%

63.84%

0.19%

0.26% Unspecified

What do people complain about?
For the first time since statistics have been
kept, the category of “Other” received the
second highest percentage of complaints at
16.61 per cent. This was the result the “ick” factor
in a small number of advertisements which
received a high number of complaints.

FCAI motor vehicle complaints decreased from
a high of 4.35 per cent in 2013 to 1.25 per cent
in 2014.

Complaints about food advertising including the
food and beverage code and the AFGC RCM
and QSR Initiatives represented 0.9 per cent
of complaints.

AANA Section 2.1 - Discrimination or vilification

Similar to previous years, in 2014 discrimination
and vilification was the most complained about
issue, accounting for 27.61 per cent of complaints.
Sex, sexuality and nudity came in third highest
with 14.27 per cent.
Complaints about violence dropped from
16.1 per cent in 2013 to 12.13 per cent, which
is still significantly higher than the low of
5.9 per cent in 2012.
Complaints concerning exploitative and degrading
issues rose to 11.51 per cent from 8.31 per cent
in 2013. This year’s percentage is lower than 2012
when 13.98 per cent of complaints raised the issue
(the year statistics were first recorded separately
about exploitative and degrading images). Issues
declining in complaint activity in 2014 included
health and safety, from 15.6 per cent in 2013 to
9.38 per cent in 2014 and language, 7.07 per cent
in 2013 down to 5.23 per cent in 2014.

Other
AANA Section 2.4 - Sex, sexuality and nudity

AANA Section 2.3 - Violence
AANA Section 2.2 - Exploitative and Degrading
AANA Section 2.6 - Health and Safety

AANA Section 2.5 - Language
AANA Food and Beverage Code

FCAI Code
AANA Advertising to Children Code

AFGC Resp Childrens Marketing Initiative
Quick Service Restaurant Resp
Childrens Marketing Initiative
AANA Environmental Code

0%

70

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Advertising Standards Bureau