The Australian Advertising Standards Bureau has releases its list of Most Complained About Advertisments of 2015 and some of them are just plain offensive.
Few of the ads were flagged for using profanities or sexual innuendos. In fact for the most part, the ads on this list can be divided pretty evenly down the middle of “Okay, seriously? That’s offensive?” and “How did that get on the air?”
Proving that even a team of hot-shot marketing execs can’t stop a train wreck waiting to happen.
Watch some of the ads below:
Victorian Hearing
The Victorian Hearing ad, which is advertising a new range of “invisible” hearing aids, sparked national outrage after their “Hearing aids are ugly” campaign aired.
Ad removed from air and advertising spaces, number of complaints: 21
Ashley Madison
Catering to those wanting to seek an extra-martial affair (we’re not totally sure how many there are, but who knows), Ashley Madison’s ads feature “runaway brides” and “naughty secretaries”, emblazoned with the words “I’m looking for someone other than my man”.
Complaint: Dismissed, Number of complaints: 30
The Body Shop
The Body Shop copped some flak for their sexy ad for their new hemp soap. It’s advertising is quite risque with a hemp leaf carefully placed over the privates of a male model.
Complaint: Dismissed, Number of complaints: 30
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Twentieth Century Fox
The trailer for Fox’s Poltergeist was arguably a little too scary – but hey, if it’s a scary movie, then arguably the ad is good, right? Wrong.
Complaint: Dismissed, Number of complaints: 36
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Bingle Insurance
This video of a chimpanzee arguably encouraged people to perform increasingly cruel acts on children.
Complaint: Dismissed, Number of complaints: 41
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Lynx
There were 62 complaints against this ad for a Lynx product. They were dismissed.
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Stan
The ad featuring Rebel Wilson is pretty low-brow, in reality. It received 66 complaints, though they were dismissed.
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Ashley Madison, again.
It took something seriously special to land yourself on this list twice, and that something special is “advertising adultery”.
The sister campaign to the aforementioned site is the equally as disturbing, “I’m looking for someone other than my wife”.
Complaint: Upheld, Number of complaints: 138
WATCH THE AD HERE:
Holden Ltd
This ad takes out the number one spot for “most offensive ad”, there were 161 complaints, though none were upheld. The ad features a kid parroting his dad, by saying “bloody caravaners.”
WATCH THE AD HERE:
