Advertising Standards Bureau Review of Operations 2016 2016 Review of operations_WEB | Page 68

Advertising complaints statistics
In 2016 the ASB received
5,529 complaints, the second
highest number of complaints
in the past 10 years, although
close to the record number of
complaints received in 2014
(5,735).
From the 5,529 complaints the board considered
533 advertisements, with an additional
43 withdrawn by advertisers before Board
consideration. Of the advertisements considered,
71 advertisements were found to breach the
Codes or Initiatives.
The higher level of complaint numbers in 2016
corresponded to a higher than average number
of actual advertisements complained about.
The total number of separate advertisements
complained about (595) matched the number
of advertisements complained about in 2009.
In the 10 years to 2016 the average number of
advertisements receiving complaints per year
is 525.
category came in a close second at 23.54 per cent.
Both of these categories had higher than
usual complaint percentages due to one or two
advertisements which received a high level
of complaint.
The percentage of complaints received from most
States and Territories remained consistent with
previous years, with the only slight change being
that complaints from South Australia dropped by
just more than two per cent from 8.95 per cent in
2015 to 6.61 per cent in 2016.
Number of advertisements
considered and outcome
of complaints
Of the total 5,529 complaints received, 914
complaints were in relation to advertisements
previously considered by the Board. Of the
914 complaints about already considered
advertisements, 578 complaints were about
advertisements which had been complained
about earlier in 2016 but the Board found did not
breach the Code.
In 2016 discrimination and vilification was the
most complained about issue accounting for
27.23 per cent of complaints. Complaints about
the issue of sex, sexuality and nudity dropped
slightly from 27.32 per cent of complaints 2015
to just 22.74 per cent in 2016. Violence came in
third highest at 17.98 per cent. A total of 115 complaints were assessed as raising
issues under th e Code of Ethics that the Board
has consistently considered not in breach of
the Codes.
Advertisements for food and beverages topped the
product category list in 2016, with 26.26 per cent There were 573 complaints against the 71
advertisements which were found to breach the
of all complaints. The automotive product
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Code, with the remaining 462 ads accounting for
4,242 complaints.
Compared to the total number of advertisements
considered by the Board, the number of
advertisements found to breach the code equated
to an upheld rate of 13.32 per cent.
On receiving advice that there had been
a complaint 43 advertisers removed their
advertisement prior to consideration by the
Board. This is the highest recorded number of
advertisements withdrawn.
When complaints against advertisements
were upheld by the Board, the vast majority
of advertisers removed or modified their
advertisement from broadcast or publication.
One advertiser accounted for 11 of the 17
advertisements which were not removed or
modified. The majority of advertisers complying
with Board decisions demonstrates the advertising
industry’s continuing support and understanding
of its obligations and responsibilities of adherence
to the AANA Code of Ethics and other Codes
and Initiatives and to the system of advertising
self-regulation.
A total of 4,815 complaints were received about
the 533 advertisements considered by the Board.
Advertising Standards Bureau