One of many nice pastimes for us Australians, a nation of good-humoured larrikins, is complaining. Vociferously and about absolutely anything, we completely like to complain. Consequently, it results in busy and (one suspects) well-paid careers for ombudsmen. It additionally implies that on the subject of public-facing targets of complaints like commercials, the physique accountable for regulating content material, Advert Requirements, makes public its determinations on complaints. Within the spirit of transparency, your correspondent rounded up a number of the humorous, egregious and infrequently ridiculous complaints from the previous yr.
There have been plenty of honourable mentions that didn’t make it into this listing, together with mother and father involved over influencer Abbie Chatfield’s eggplants in an Uber Eats advert, Toyota getting slammed for selling protected driving, and streaming platform Binge being accused of selling incest over a billboard for HBO’s Home of the Dragon that learn: “He’s a ten, however he’s your uncle”.
AHHH! A burger!
WA-based hen takeaway chain, Hen Deal with (a part of the Craveable Manufacturers group, which additionally owns Crimson Rooster, Oporto and Chargrill Charlie’s), appeared to be kicking targets over the previous couple of years, opening their first shops in NSW in 2023. However for at the least one viewer, one in all their TV adverts was an enormous miss.
The advert confirmed a hen burger having sauce drizzled over it, turning it briefly right into a screaming monster that lunges on the viewer momentarily.
“Each time this advert comes on, I’ve to hurry to mute the telly and look away. It’s disturbing that this might be proven to youngsters,” stated one scared complainant.
“They’re actively attempting to scare folks, and the sound is horrible. It shouldn’t be allowed.”
Craveable Manufacturers in its response stated the advert “cleverly mirrors the response of a buyer attempting the [new] sauce for the primary time”.
Advert Requirements discovered that whereas it “recognised the potential for momentary fright”, it “discovered it to be non-threatening”. In all probability as a result of it was an anthropomorphic hen burger.
The grievance was subsequently dismissed.
It’s a parmi! It’s a parma!
Sticking once more with accusations of chicken-related violence, an advert for Nova 100 in Melbourne depicted two new hosts, initially from Adelaide, on the pub with their Victorian co-host. So as to appropriate her colleagues’ blasphemous use of the slang “parmi” as an alternative of the Victorian-specific “parma” to seek advice from the pub staple, she utilises an electrical canine coaching collar positioned round their necks.
One viewer took problem with it, calling it “very disturbing content material” that needs to be despatched to the Australian Human Rights Fee.
Nova’s response stated that the usage of a “correctional” shock was “light-hearted, humorous and unrealistic”, noting that in Victoria, the usage of authorised canine coaching collars (on animals) is authorized.
Nonetheless, the Australian Affiliation of Nationwide Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics requires that violence proven in promoting should be justifiable within the context of the services or products, and that “somebody receiving a painful electrical shock was not justifiable within the promotion of a radio program”.
Advert Requirements discovered the advert breached part 2.3 of the code, which resulted in it being discontinued by Nova.
Did somebody say KFC?
Whereas most advert requirements complaints are dismissed, this effort from KFC made headlines final yr, and never for the explanation you’d count on. The unique advert, which confirmed a lady at a home celebration noticing her telephone is flat and unplugging a wire from a powerboard as a way to cost it, however in doing so inadvertently turning off the music, caught the ire of 1 eagle-eyed viewer.
The complainant seen that the powerboard within the advert was overloaded, with a number of double adapters and different powerboards daisy chained, citing Fireplace and Rescue NSW statistics that present greater than 350 home fires begin from electrical faults yearly.
The grievance famous “regrettably, none of [Fire and Rescue’s] advisable practices are depicted or urged within the KFC commercial”.
KFC responded to the grievance, claiming it “under no circumstances meant to advertise the usage of or mislead viewers as to the security of utilizing overloaded powerboards”, however the Advert Requirements Neighborhood Panel discovered that “the commercial was opposite to prevailing neighborhood requirements on well being and security”, breaching part 2.6 of the AANA’s Code of Ethics.
The advert was subsequently edited to take away the overloaded powerboard.
Okay, boomer
Sticking with the obvious theme of takeaway hen, one avenue advert from Nando’s was somewhat simpler to know when it comes to the character of the grievance. The slogan of the advert learn: “Outbid by a boomer? Elevate your hand for peri-peri hen.”
A number of complainants, nonetheless, skipped previous the dire social commentary on the Australian housing market to the reference to boomers.
“The advert is ageist in direction of older folks. It perpetuates discrimination in opposition to older folks,” one grievance learn.
Dr Catherine Barrett, the founding father of a non-profit referred to as Celebrating Ageing, instructed information.com.au final yr that she was calling on Nando’s to “do higher”.
Nando’s, in response, stated the advert was “designed to be a light-hearted means of escaping from the frustrations of house possession”, noting the proportion of wealth and homeownership loved by child boomers.
Advert Requirements discovered that whereas the time period “boomer” was “usually utilized in a condescending or derogatory method, its use [was] not essentially discriminatory or vilifying”, and dismissed the complaints.
Welcome to Hell, Melbourne
The Diablo online game collection has been round longer than your correspondent has been alive, however that hasn’t stopped builders Activision Blizzard from courting controversy with its newest launch, 2023’s Diablo IV. A billboard for the online game in Melbourne depicted a horned girl with the phrases “Welcome to Hell, Melbourne”.
It drew plenty of complaints, claiming it was offensive to Christians and Catholics (who famously are the one faiths to have depictions of hell), in addition to horrifying for younger youngsters.
Nonetheless, essentially the most notable grievance got here from one member of the general public, who stated, “At the same time as an grownup, it introduced again recollections of the hell of the 2 years of lockdowns in Melbourne”.
Activision Blizzard in response stated the adverts “don’t embody any references to the Satanic occult”, and that hell refers to “a fictional location that an individual will go to as a part of the gameplay of their quest to defeat the fictional villain portrayed within the adverts”.
Advert Requirements discovered that whereas “folks of the Christian religion, or different faiths, might not like the usage of a reference to hell or the satan … the content material of the commercial itself doesn’t humiliate or incite hatred, contempt or ridicule of Christian folks (or different faiths)”.
Advert Requirements didn’t comment on what it was wish to reside in Melbourne throughout lockdowns, nor its proximity to hell, and dismissed the grievance.