Three fried chicken ads – and a promotion for a super fund that used a “distressing” scream – have made the list of most complained about commercials for 2024.
A commercial for superannuation provider Rest featuring a disfigured cake and a man letting out a high-pitched scream attracted 45 complaints – the third-highest number for the year – partly due to “distressing sounds”, the watchdog Ad Standards revealed on Friday.
With 69 complaints, a KFC ad in which a daughter acts surprised at seeing her mother emerge from the bedroom of a younger man was the most complained about commercial this year.
It wasn’t the only KFC ad with sexual innuendo to end up on the list. Another, which featured an awkward interaction in bed, attracted 41 complaints.
Red Rooster attracted the second-most complaints for an ad featuring a young man stealing chicken at a skate park. It resulted in 55 complaints for “promoting antisocial behaviour”.
Ad Standards said it received over 4,000 complaints in 2024, but only two of the top 10 most complained about ads this year were found to be in breach of advertising rules.
They included a mobile billboard for a Melbourne brothel featuring a number of women in lingerie, and a Budget Direct ad in which a pool cleaner comes to life, which was found to be “violent”.
Other notable ads on the list include a gambling ad by Zynga; one for erectile dysfunction treatment; and a promotion for an IVF treatment provider.
Most complaints related to sexual references or nudity, with Rachel Tunney, the communications manager at Ad Standards, saying people complained on matters that only had “mild” or “implied” sexual imagery.
“Issues around sex and nudity are our most complained about issue, which can be mild, like for example in the case of the KFC ads, where the sexual themes were more implied,” Tunney said.
“But still, some people find that uncomfortable, and when it’s on TV, they might be watching a family friendly show, and not expecting that sort of issue to be dealt with by a commercial.”
Tunney said most complaints were around food and beverage advertising, because they use “creative techniques”.
She also said most complaints around the Rest ad was that it was “annoying.”
“The most common issue was the high pitch screech that people found kind of annoying, some distressing, and some found it insensitive. And while some people might agree it’s annoying, that isn’t covered by the codes of conduct.”
Prof Gayle Kerr, an expert in advertising from the Queensland University of Technology, said that complaints were increasing year on year.
The 4,000 complaints in 2024 were up on 2023’s near 3,500 complaints – which itself was a rise of 23% on the 2022 figures.
“There’s a trend there … and I think that it’s really good to see people take an interest in advertising and the need to protect their community values,” Kerr said.
“But I mean, ultimately, the numbers are still not huge, probably reflecting the fact that people complain to their friends and family more than they complain through official mechanisms.”
Asked if the standards should change to limit annoying commercials, Kerr said she thought they were working well already.
“It’s very hard to define what annoyance is. Annoyance is sometimes just someone continually reminding you of something that you should be doing, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“So I think as a base point for regulation, the standards are pretty strong, reflective standards. They won’t please everyone, but I think as an overall general community standard, they’re very fair.”
