Other ads to spark backlash include allegations that a company highlighting its call centres as being located in Australia is racist, while images of children removing markers from trees set to be chopped down generated complaints of promoting law breaking.The findings flow from the latest complaint numbers from monitoring agency Ad Standards.An ad by domain provider Crazy Domains, which shows a drunken man urinating on a shopfront, was easily the year’s most hated advertisement generating 283 complaints.Key complaints include that it “depicts inappropriate and gross behaviour that offended public decency” and is “degrading to men as it continues a stereotype of males as drunken and inappropriate”.Ad Standards upheld complaints that it breached the advertising code by showing material contrary to public health and safety standards but dismissed complaints that it was discriminatory against men.An Aussie Broadband ad which showed people in their gardens using their hose to spell out “bloody” and “freaking” stood as the year’s second most complained about ad.It received 74 complaints over the first six months of 2021.The bulk focused on “offensive and inappropriate” language but also included complaints the ad was “inherently racist” and created a “negative impression of overseas workers” by stating the company’s call centres were located in Australia.The complaints were dismissed with Ad Standards ruling “bloody” was a colloquial term while “freaking” is “generally considered acceptable language”.The body ruled highlighting the fact that a call centre was Australian-based was done to allow the company to communicate that it was better able to answer local concerns.A South Australia Police ad which shows a man calling himself a “selfish prick” attracted 47 complaints while Insurance Australia Group’s ad which shows two children trying to protect koalas by removing markers from trees set to be felled attracted 17 complaints for promoting law breaking.The complaints against both ads were dismissed.Rounding out the Top 5 was a series of ads from Huddle insurance which generated complaints that they sexualised men and demeaned young women.The complaints were dismissed.Other despised ads so far this year include a radio plug by Massel Australia in which a man cooks on a wok for the first time.The ad was accused of using a “negative, sexist stereotype of the clueless man” to sell its products although the complaint was rejected.
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