Bulletin

October 2021 #136

Burger ad leaves a bad taste

A burger franchise has found itself in a bit of a pickle after the Ad Standards Community Panel determined that its latest advertisement breached Sections 2.3 (Violence) and 2.4 (Sex, sexuality or nudity) of the AANA Code of Ethics.

The ad showed a cartoon clown menacingly opening his coat in front of a group of children in an alleyway. The clown was also shown producing a knife from the toe of his shoe and attempting to slice a cartoon burger in half with it.

The Community Panel determined that the ad showed violence that was not justifiable in the context of the product being advertised, and failed to treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience.

Complaints were also raised under the Food and Beverages Code, Advertising to Children Code, and the Environmental Claims Code but no breaches were found.

Seeing green

Green claims can be a powerful marketing tool – but advertisers risk damaging their reputation if they don’t follow the rules. This month the Community Panel assessed two advertisements against the Environmental Claims Code.

The first was a Facebook ad posted by a major bank which featured a range of environmental claims about its efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef. The complainant felt that the bank was ‘greenwashing’ and misleading consumers.

In assessing all the relevant information, the Panel determined that the advertiser did not breach the Code.

The second ad, a short video by a government agency, referred to ‘clean hydrogen’ which the complainant believed lacked a scientific basis.

The Panel considered that the average consumer in the target market would not be misled or deceived by the reference since the webpage provided information on what the claim meant. While the complaint was dismissed, the Panel did note that a definition of clean hydrogen would be a useful addition to the webpage so that members of the public could easily locate and understand the term.

You can find all determinations from the Ad Standards Community Panel online at AdStandards.com.au/cases

Updated F+B Code now live

Stay up to date with the changes by rewatching the AANA’s free webinar which breaks the Code down into bite-sized chunks. Alternatively, you can sink your teeth into the updated Code and Practice Note, both of which are available on the Ad Standards website.