Plans are under way for a major TV advertising campaign to encourage Australians to complain to the Advertising Standards Bureau. While the ASB found awareness of the ability to complain among consumers to be 'surprisingly high', the biggest impediment to them complaining is their own apathy. Under the system, a single complaint is enough to trigger an investigation of an ad, which is often upheld. In the past year an ad for Coca-Cola's new Zero drink depicting a young man standing on top of a bus attracted the most complaints, which were subsequently upheld. The board ruled that it promoted irresponsible behaviour and the ad was pulled." [Sydney Morning Herald, 31.12.06]
So, an ad for Coke Zero was banned because it promoted irresponsible behaviour. We live in a country of 20 million people, and it takes just one person to complain for an ad to be banned. Lowest common denominator democracy at work. And as if that's not enough, the ASB are now going to spend money on running a campaign to encourage even more of these sort of complaints.
Fantastic! I'm delighted my children are now going to be even better protected from their own stupidity and lack of common sense. Perhaps we should run a campaign targetting everything that promotes "irresponsible behaviour", not just advertisements. My list for 2006 would include:
TELEVISION:
Little Britain.
Skating With The Stars.
State of Origin Game III.
The Chaser's War on Everything.
MOVIES:
Borat.
Babel.
Little Feet.
Casino Royale.
Snakes on a Plane.
Jackass: Number Two.
BOOKS:
Jonestown.
Guinness World Records 2007.
Sexual Segregation in Vertebrates: ecology of the two sexes.
The Prince of Australia...and other Rebels, Rogues and Ratbags.
Why Do Men Have Nipples? Hundreds of Questions You'd Only Ask a Doctor After Your Third Martini.
MUSIC
MANEATER: Nelly Furtado.
I TOLD YOU SO: Keith Urban.
I DON'T NEED A MAN: The Pussycat Dolls.
CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE SOBER: Evanescence.
Robbie Williams.
THE MEDIA:
mySPACE.com
Kyle and Jackie's morning show.
Photograph of Saddam Hussein about to be hanged, which appeared on the front page of every daily paper.
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