South African Communique
30 November 2009
Print advertising complaints rise

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASASA) released a research showing an increase in the number of complaints relating to print advertising in 2009. The findings shows a 26 percent rise, “advertisers are adopting riskier campaigns in a bid to reach their audiences,” Andrew Papadopoulos trade mark associate of intellectual law firm DM Kisch said. The research also revealed that television advertising totalled to 21 percent with a decrease of 7.5 percent, and both Internet and product packaging were on 14 percent. The overall complaints lodged in 2009 were 2 223, up 6 percent on last year’s (2008)   2 095.

In the second half of the year (2009) it was Teazers advertising that appears to have raised the most ire among consumers, in particular a billboard showing a naked woman lying on her back with the tagline, No need for gender testing”. The advertising authority found the billboard mocked the 800 metres world wide champion Caster Semenya, and was insensitive to her situation. Corne Koch, authority’s communications manager said 40 percent of competitor complaints were upheld by the association and 30 percent lodged by consumers or public bodies, which largely make up the industry associations. Among the competitor complaints was iBurst’s objection to Neotel both Internet Service Providers (IPS) prominent use of the colour orange, which iBurst sees as its brand colour. The authority found that it was hard for a brand to own a colour and dismissed the complaint.

The authority also had its normal share of complaints relating to solutions for embarrassing sexual problems and the healing of illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure and HIV/AIDS.

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