Complaints to standards authority show not everyone thinks sex sells

By IRENE CHAPPLE

Sex, nudity and misdirected humour are still raising people's hackles.

Advertising complaints have increased on last year despite relaxing attitudes, says Glen Wiggs, executive director of the Advertising Standards Authority.

Complaints are not always a bad thing - think of Toyota's "bugger" advertisement.

That complaint, in 1999, was not upheld, but the issue generated heated debate, which in turn ensured media coverage. A new version of the advertisement has now appeared, this time in an urban setting.

But complaints are certainly never sought after, says Andrew Tinning, creative director of Saatchi & Saatchi, which made the advertisement.

"Setting out to offend people is not a smart thing to do. We have a responsibility to be sensitive, and not be offensive or exploitative.

"The last thing we want to do with a client is attract negative publicity."

Humour is often the key to effective advertising, says Mr Wiggs. Although it should not become crass or "schoolboy like", the board is generally in favour of it.

One complainant this year took offence at a Whittaker's Peanut Slab advertisement, which showed two young men walking around a second-hand car lot. Signs on the vehicles said: "Trashed ex-rental", and "Speedo wound back twice".

The salesman was then shown in his office eating a peanut slab, while a voice-over said: ". . . good honest chocolate".

The complainant said the advertisement was offensive to the car sales industry, but the board disagreed, saying jokes about occupations were commonplace.

Someone was also offended by toffee pop biscuit advertisements which showed a couple at home nibbling on toffee pops and being confronted with the fantasy man and woman of their respective dreams.

The blatant images, said the complainant, were unacceptable and undignified. Again, humour saved the day.

It was also the "obvious and overriding humour" that saved the Rugby Union's streaker advertisement, in which the streaker runs on to the field and gyrates in front of the crowd and a security guard.

The security guard steps to one side so he can continue to watch the game.

The complaint said the advertisement was irresponsible and unacceptable. But the board decided it was unlikely to cause either widespread or serious offence.

Nevertheless, sex remains a hot complaint topic, says Mr Wiggs.

The proof is out there. The sexual themes in the Vodafone ad touting text messages and singing "Alwys Shud B Sum 1 U Rlly Luv" raised the ire of a viewer.

So did the CocaCola nightswimming ad, in which sexy young things tear off their clothes to leap carelessly into the waves. One man is exhausted by the effort and runs back up the beach to swig his coke.

None was censured by the authority.

Overall, there was no main source of concerns this year, although the local body elections attracted complaints about deceptive statements, which where upheld.

The authority largely censured misleading campaigns, requesting removal of the advertisements.