ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!
*

Moneysupermarket ads drew the most complaints in 2016, but were they warranted?

Published by

People love to complain, especially about things they can't control. Maybe we're all deeply unfulfilled individuals shouting desperately into the void? Maybe we naively think our words of dissent will actually make a difference? Or maybe (more likely) we just like a good moan every once in a while? Whatever the reason, adland is certainly not immune to the angry, often self-righteous mob. The crowds I like to call the “men and women who shout at clouds.” Indeed, there have been complaints lobbied against adverts since the medium came into being, only now, in an age where it's almost impossible to do anything without it being logged and tallied, we can actually get a tangible reading of just how 'offensive' adland has been. So, how offensive has adland been this year? Not very.

According to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), MoneySuperMarket almost monopolised adland complaints in 2016 with their dance-off spots from Mother featuring the twerking businessmen with the impossible bums, the pole dancing workmen and the dancing bodyguard attracting a total of 2,491 complaints between them. Many viewers apparently found the ads to be “distasteful,” and “overly sexual,” and others actually found the stereotypes to be homophobic, a point I won't pretend to understand, but then you can't control offence can you? The brand's ubiquitous presence in the list is underlined by the fact that a Moneysupermarket campaign also topped the most-complained-about list in 2015, inferring that the brand refuses to shy away from controversy. Perhaps they are even actively courting it? Either way, if these are the ads the drew the most ire this year, then advertisers are really toeing the 'good taste' line, or maybe they are simply not taking as many risks as they once did?

*

Other ads that reaped the scorn of the masses included the Paddy Power spot from Big Al's Creative Emporium featuring cat-kicking blind footballers (which was first shown in 2010, but still managed to draw 450 complaints) and the Match.com “Messy Girl” spot, which showed a woman removing her female partner's top and kissing her, with complainers apparently finding the spot too “sexually explicit.” If you ask me, if there's any homophobia present in this list, it's right here, as you have to ponder whether or not there would be quite as many complaints if it were a heterosexual couple featured in the spot? The Paddy Power advert, meanwhile, featured men playing blind football and inadvertently kicking a cat due to the sound of a bell round its neck. The ASA had already ruled the majority of viewers would see the advert as humorous and not humiliating or undermining to blind people, and so did not bother to investigate it. The bookmaker's other advert about Scottish football fans not bothered about not qualifying for Euro 2016, because they could gain just as much joy by betting on England to lose, was also complained about for being racist. They probably have a point on that one to be fair, but then, Paddy Power is a brand primarily pursuing the kind of audience that probably wouldn't take offence at such a concept, and would probably find the humour in it.

Also in the top 10 were Smart Energy's “Gaz and Leccy” cartoon characters, the Home Office's “Disrespect Nobody” domestic violence campaign by RKCR/Y&R, the Maltesers spot featuring a woman in a wheelchair from AMV BBDO discussing her boyfriend (though if you complained about that charming, respectful ad, then, in my humble opinion, you really need to get out more) and Gourmet Burger Kitchen's references to giving up vegetarianism. The complaints about the Home Office's ad are the only ones that I feel really warrant a second thought, as the spot implies that only men are responsible for domestic abuse, which complainers felt could discourage male victims from coming forward. I'm willing to play devil's advocate here, as I can almost see where the complainers were coming from. Statistics show that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse in their lifetimes, so will 1 in 6 men, so it's definitely an issue that the Home Office might want to explore in their next campaign.

The Top 10 “Most Complained About” Ads of 2016 according to the ASA

1. MoneySuperMarket.com (dancing bodyguard) 1,063

2. MoneySuperMarket.com (gang dance-off) 898

3. Match.com (kissing women) 896

4. MoneySuperMarket.com (solo dance-off) 530

5. Paddy Power (blind football) 450

6. Smart Energy GB (Gaz and Leccy) 253

7. Paddy Power (Scotland fans) 220

8. Home Office (domestic violence) 216

9. Gourmet Burger Kitchen (vegetarianism) 195

*

10. Mars/Maltesers (disability) 151

ASA Chief Executive Guy Parker, said of the list: “The ads that attract the highest number of complaints are often not the ones that need banning. Our action leads to thousands of ads being amended or withdrawn each year, mostly for being misleading, but there wasn't one misleading ad in the top 10. In the list there are a number of ads, which while advertising their product or service, have also sought to present a positive statement about diversity but were in fact seen by some as doing the opposite. In all those cases, we thought people generally would see the ads in a positive light and that the boundary between bad taste and serious or widespread offence had been navigated well enough, often through using sensible scheduling restrictions.”

*

The ASA did also say that none of the ads in the top 10 crossed the line of bad taste to become genuinely offensive, which is certainly a win? The list, and Mr Parker's comments above, however, do raise a few interesting questions about just what people expect of advertising in 2017 and how far agencies and brands are willing to push the boat out in an age when one angry tweet can sink a campaign. It also underlines the simple fact that some people will find offence in just about anything, but most people are content to let it slide. Maybe life's too short, or maybe social media has meant we've had to develop thicker skins by necessity? I don't have the answers, but if you do, feel free to let me know in the comments below. Also, if there are any adverts from 2016 that you personally found offensive enough to complain about, I'd love to hear from you, because healthy debate is always welcome at Creativepool.

Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and struggling musician from Kidderminster in the UK.

Comments

More Leaders

*

Leaders

Inspiring Female Leaders: An Interview with RAPP CEO Gabrielle Ludzker

Gabrielle Ludzker is not just any CEO. The current head honcho at customer experience agency RAPP has spent her career breaking away from the traditional corporate CEO stereotype. and leads to inspire rule breakers. Gabby is an inspirational rule...

Posted by: Benjamin Hiorns
ad: Annual 2024 Now Open For Entries!