Update from Richard Bean, Executive Director

2023 has been another busy but fulfilling year here at Ad Standards. We celebrated our 25th year of operation, we launched a public awareness campaign, and most importantly we continued to deliver a world class advertising complaints handling system that is responsive to community concerns and promotes responsible advertising.  

We received more than 3,500 complaints and investigated more than 250 ads in 2023. This increase in complaints has seen us return to pre-pandemic levels. We also provided advice to advertisers across a range of categories who wanted to ensure that their ad campaigns achieve cut-through without crossing the line.  

As the year wraps up, we wish you a joyful and safe holiday season. 

Fired up festivities

Aldi’s Christmas TV ad featured a variety of scenes of people having kitchen mishaps and culinary adventures. 

One of the scenes shows a man with a BBQ on fire in his living room. The Community Panel considered that the use of barbeques indoors is inherently unsafe due to the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire danger. 

While the scene was intended to be light-hearted, it is a dangerous action which should not be demonstrated or encouraged. The ad was found to breach Section 2.6 (Health and safety) of the AANA Code of Ethics.  

Upheld - AANA Code of Ethics (Health and safety)

Naughty or nice?

A TV ad for Coca Cola featured multiple Santa Clauses shown in different settings like a laundromat, diner, gym, and buying Coca Cola from a vending machine at a train station. 

A complainant was concerned that the ad was targeting children. 

The Community Panel found that the ad would appeal equally to adults and children and was not primarily targeting children.  

Dismissed - AANA Food and Beverage Code (Targeting children)

Home groan

A poster ad for Nandos featuring the text “Outbid by a boomer? Raise your hand for peri-peri chicken" raised concerns about discrimination against older people. 

The Community Panel considered that the term ‘boomer’ is a descriptive term only, and while it can be used in a condescending way, the ad itself it did not discriminate against the ‘baby boomer’ demographic.  

Dismissed - AANA Code of Ethics (Discrimination or vilification)

Hungry for more? Check out these recently published decisions

• Hungry Jacks - Dismissed |Health and safety
• Hayeswinkle - Upheld | Discrimination or vilification
• Disney - Upheld | Violence
• McDonalds - Dismissed| Misleading
• The Fox Tan - Upheld |Health and safety

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

Most complained about ads of 2023

From an adult content creator to fried chicken and chewing gum, we recently revealed the five ads people complained about most in 2023. This year we received over 3,500 complaints, with concerns being raised about a range of issues. Sexual appeal, violence and health and safety were the top issues of community concern.