Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2014 | Page 75

What products attracted complaints?
The most complained about product category
in 2014 was automotive (defined as products
associated with motor vehicles, such as tyres,
number plates, motor oil) which accounted for
20.5 per cent of all complaints. This is due to a
small number of advertisements receiving a high
number of complaints. This category was first
introduced in 2013, when only 0.37 per cent of
complaints were recorded.
The percentage of complaints about vehicle
advertisements dropped significantly between
2013 (13.92 per cent), to the lowest recorded
percentage (3.00 per cent in 2014) since vehicle
advertisement complaint data was first collected
in 2005.

(5.42 per cent in 2013 to 11.41 per cent in 2014.
Although still a small percentage, complaints
about gambling advertisements rose from
1.32 per cent in 2013 to 3.45 per cent in 2014.

Insurance (2.98 per cent), entertainment
(2.46 per cent) and travel (2.03 per cent) were the
only other product categories to receive more than
two percent of complaints.

Complaints about professional services increased
significantly from 2013 (1.30 per cent) to
2014 (9.02 per cent), with the sex industry
(15.40 per cent) and toiletry (11.46 per cent)
product categories recording a tripling in
percentage of complaints from the previous year.

Several product categories received no complaints,
including restaurants, office goods and services
and employment.

Complaint percentages about food and beverage
advertising remained at lower levels than in
previous years at 7.91 per cent–a large drop from
a high of 33.25 per cent in 2007. Since data was
first collected in 2005, food and beverages was
consistently the most complained about category
until 2013 when the first larger drop was recorded.
Significant decreases were recorded in several
categories including clothing from 8.94 per cent
in 2013 to 1.80 per cent in 2014 and lingerie
from 7.91 per cent in 2013 to 0.94 per cent in
2014. Prior to 2013 lingerie was recorded under
clothing, however due to an increasing number
of complaints, lingerie complaints began to be
recorded separately. Combining the two categories
this year still results in a significantly lower
level of complaint about these products—just
2.74 per cent of complaints in total.

A third product category to record a significant
decrease was alcohol which dropped from
7.84 per cent in 2013 to just 1.30 per cent
in 2014.
Complaints about community awareness
advertisements more than doubled from

0%

Review of Operations 2014

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

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