Ad complaints down, but code violations rise

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...