A poster of a woman wearing lingerie hangs prominently in front of a store in the middle of a crowded shopping centre.
Apple and a Victorian brothel each received complaints for six ads, Paramount and Yum Restaurants International had five, while Budget Direct, Sportsbet and Universal Pictures had four each. Gayle Kerr, a professor at the QUT school of advertising, said a company could view ad complaints as promotion, even if it is negative.Almost straight out of a Simpsons episode, one person made a complaint about trying to order unlimited roti as part of an advertised deal from an Indian restaurant in Melbourne, only to be told any more than three roti would be $2 extra per roti. Ad standards found the ad breached the code by being misleading.
And while going against community perception or potentially breaching the code of ethics might make a brand or product stand out, Professor Kerr said it might not always result in sales. The code also prohibits content that promotes unsafe practices like bullying, unhealthy body image, unsafe behaviour and the use of sexual appeal or imagery in advertising aimed at children.
"Whether you're selling bold swimwear or sexy lingerie, it is inevitable that models often won't be covered up.