TORONTO –Advertising Standards Canada received 1,040 complaints from consumers about 723 advertisements in 2006, a decrease of 18% as compared to 2005.
However, 95 complaints, concerning 40 advertisements, were determined to contravene the Code of Advertising Standards by the ASC’s independent volunteer consumer response councils. That’s am increase of 64% over the prior year. Basically, arrests are down, but convictions, rising.
The retail advertising category garnered the highest number of complaints (137), followed by automobile advertising with 104 complaints. Fifty-one percent of ads cited were TV ads, 7% were radio ads, 7% were Internet ads and the rest were billboards, newspapers and other media.
The report, however, does not name any of the offending campaigns but the ASC singled out the automotive industry for special attention.
"Consumers are increasingly citing concerns about automobile advertisements that they allege encourage unsafe driving behaviour – particularly among young, less experienced drivers," said Janet Feasby, vice-president, standards. "We are also receiving complaints about the category in general. In these, consumers share their perceptions that the depiction of high-speed and overly aggressive driving in car advertising is becoming more prevalent," added Danielle Lefrançois, communications manager (French Canada).
Also, "ASC regularly hears from consumers about advertising that they find personally distasteful or offensive. Most often these concerns relate to advertising involving adult themes and/or sexual innuendo. This was also the case in 2006," reads its annual report.
"In 2006, ASC also received complaints from consumers about advertising that they found frightening and/or disturbing. The complained-about advertisements, typically television commercials, used graphic images to capture viewers’ attention. Some of these included advertising by organizations attempting to draw attention to, and educate the public about important societal issues. For the most part, these advertisements did not raise issues under the Code. As well, advertisers were generally careful to ensure that their television commercials were broadcast during adult viewing hours and programs."
