Bulletin

 Issue #143

A risky stunt

An insurance comparison service’s TV ad featuring a Chris Hemsworth stunt double has been hit with a breach of Section 2.3 (Violence) of the Code of Ethics.   

The Code of Ethics requires that violence should not be depicted in advertising unless it’s justifiable in the context of the product or service being advertised.

The Community Panel considered the combat scenes in the ad, even if staged, to be violent and not justifiable in the promotion of an insurance comparison service. The ad has now been taken off the air.

Money fights

An investment company has also breached Section 2.3 (Violence) of the AANA Code of Ethics. The ad depicts a couple eating in a restaurant. The man says he will pay the bill then introduces a wrestler who he must fight to get his wallet. In the fight, the wrestler throws the man through a table.

The Community Panel found this ad portrayed unnecessary violence that was not related to the product.

Fully charged

An influencer’s Instagram story about her ‘life changing’ phone charging cable has sparked concern about distinguishable advertising. The influencer stated that the content was "not spon" however as the focus was solely on the product, the brand was tagged and there was a strong endorsement of the product, the Community Panel found that the content was advertising. In making their decision to uphold the complaint, the Panel also noted that the that there was an existing relationship between the advertiser and influencer.

This case acts a reminder to all advertisers to ensure that the influencers they engage with are aware of the rules and are upfront about any advertising content.

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

AANA Children's Advertising Code review

The AANA has launched a review of the Children’s Advertising Code to ensure that it continues to provide a robust framework for the regulation of advertising to children on all media platforms. 

First half insights

It’s been a busy start to 2022 with more than 1000 complaints lodged and over 100 cases raised between 1 January and 30 June. Find out about the top issues of concerns in the first half of 2022 in our latest article.