A kick in the nuts

A Binge TV ad that featured scenes from a variety of TV shows has breached Section 2.3 (Violence) of the AANA Code of Ethics.

In the 30 second ad for the streaming service a clip from the show ‘Upright’ was shown for three seconds, and featured a scene where a woman appears to kick a man hard, and he reacts as though he is in pain. The Community Panel considered that the ad contained violence and the complaint was upheld.

Upheld - AANA Code of Ethics (Violence)

TMI

A Pilot Men's Health TV ad that features a man going on a jog with people who remind him of the time he ‘shit his pants at ninth grade camp’ raised concerns about language.

While the Community Panel acknowledged that some members of the public would prefer the word not be used when children could hear it, they considered that ad itself is not likely to draw the attention of children.

Dismissed - AANA Code of Ethics (Language)

No label, no joy

An Instagram reel posted by an influencer for clothing brand Shona Joy has breached Section 2.7 (Distinguishable Advertising) of the AANA Code of Ethics. The reel was posted with the caption "Some of my favourite Summer looks from @shonajoy… Which one do you love the most? 1, 2, 3 or 4?"

The Community Panel considered that while it may be clear to some people viewing the reel that this was an ad, it could also be interpreted as an organic post about purchased clothing. The Panel considered that there was nothing in the wording or pictures of the material which clearly identified the post as an ad.

The Panel decided that in this case tagging the brand was not sufficient to satisfy the Code’s requirements and that reel was not clearly distinguishable as advertising.

Upheld - AANA Code of Ethics (Distinguishable Advertising)

Hungry for more? Check out these recently published decisions

• Uber Australia - Dismissed | Sex/Sexuality/Nudity
• Aldi Australia - Dismissed| Discrimination or Vilification
• Specsavers - Dismissed | Violence
• Emma Mattresses - Upheld | Distinguishable Advertising
• Kellogg Australia - Dismissed | Healthy Lifestyle/Excess Consumption & Targeting Children

Find all the latest decisions at adstandards.com.au/cases

Celebrating 25 years of Ad Standards

With a record of almost 100 per cent compliance by industry with Ad Standards Community Panel decisions, we’ve got a lot to celebrate! Check out this article to find out more about our 25^th anniversary.

Ad Standards Training

Did you know we are available to provide training on how Ad Standards deals with complaints under any or all of the advertising codes? We can step you through our process for handling advertising complaints, and provide guidance on how to avoid crossing the line.

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