Advertising Standards Canada’s (ASC) latest Ad Complaints Report suggests that Canadians remain more likely to complain about ads that negatively impact their money, not their morals.
Complaints about misleading or inaccurate advertising accounted for 467 of the 1,286 complaints received by ASC in 2013, compared with 289 complaints about ads deemed to contain unacceptable depictions and portrayals.
Complaints in the former category focused on ads that promoted products unavailable during a promotional period; ads that omitted relevant information or did not clearly state all pertinent details of an offer; or ads containing unsubstantiated claims.
The trend has emerged over the past several years, and Canadian sensibilities appear consistent with other G8 countries like the U.S. and the U.K., said report author Janet Feasby, vice-president of standards for ASC in Toronto.
“With the economic uncertainty, people are looking for deals and watching their nickels and dimes,” said Feasby. “If they don’t get what they think they should, or they think there’s something wrong with an ad, they don’t hesitate to let us know.”
Feasby also speculated that advertising that might have been considered scandalous in the past is no longer as shocking to Canadians. “It’s changing demographics,” she theorized. “What was shocking to people years ago is mainstream now.”
She did note, however, that depictions of bullying or advertising that denigrates a gender or other groups such as seniors continues to evokes a negative response.
Bad Medicine
Another area drawing consumers’ ire is the alternative medicine space, where complaints about ads promoting products and treatments are on the rise. The report notes a “significant increase” in the number of complaints about ads in this sector, particularly about online ads.
The report cited an internet campaign by Ottawa-based Maya Abdominal and Uterine Therapy, which claimed that its therapy could relieve certain medical conditions including impotence and cancers of the cervix, uterus, colon or bladder.
When informed of the complaint, the advertiser said that the treatment claims on its website came from a third party that had accredited Maya to apply its treatment. ASC deemed that by including the claims on its website, the advertiser adopted the claims as its own; because no substantiation for the claims was provided, ASC found the ad contained unsubstantiated claims. On appeal by the client, ASC’s Appeal Council upheld the original decision.
A second example involved internet advertising by an undisclosed spa in British Columbia, which claimed that its cosmetic facial services “actually reversed the aging process.” Upon learning of the complaint, the advertiser removed the complaint from its website.
The Numbers
The association received at total of 1,286 consumer complaints regarding 1,075 advertisements last year. That was consistent with the previous year, when ASC received 1,286 complaints.
Of the total complaints, 823 met the criteria for acceptance under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (Code). The remaining 463 complaints were not pursued because they did not fall within Code’s acceptance criteria, such as complaints in which no specific advertisement was identified; complaints about ads that were no longer current; complaints about political or election advertising; and complaints about advertisements that did not meet the Code definition of advertising.
A total of 100 complaints about 71 ads raised potential Code issues and were forwarded to ASC councils. Of those complaints, 79 were upheld and 50 ads were found to contravene one or more Code clauses.
Last year the ASC began handling some complaint categories under the “administratively resolved complaints procedure,” which is intended to resolve what it describes as “simple, uncontested contraventions” of Code clauses related to accuracy and clarity and price claims. These are conducted when an advertiser swiftly acknowledges a transgression and amends or permanently withdraws an ad. ASC staff administratively resolved an additional 45 complaints about 45 ads.
Complaints by sector
Consistent with previous years, retail led all advertising sectors with a total of 178 complaints, 18 of which were upheld.
Service followed with 138 complaints (38 of which were upheld), followed by food (108 complaints, three upheld); government/not-for-profit (106 complaints, one upheld); automotive (87 complaints, 15 upheld) and finance (33 complaints, one upheld).
Complaints by media
Television led all media with 528 complaints, 42% of the total complaints and more than twice as many as digital’s 240 complaints (19%). Radio garnered the third most complaints with 84 (7%), followed by flyers/brochures (77) and out-of-home (75).
