Canadians lodged fewer complaints about ads last year

TORONTO – The Advertising Standards Canada (ASC) received 1,119 complaints from consumers in 2008, down 23% from the 1,445 complaints that it received in 2007. The national advertising industry self-regulatory body administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and accepts complaints from consumers about advertising. Of the 1,119 complaints received last year, 801 met the criteria for acceptance under the Code, while the remaining 318 could not be pursued because they did not fall within the Code’s criteria. The retail advertising category garnered the highest number of complaints for the fourth consecutive...