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Advertising Advertising Standards Authority

Men are more likely to complain about ads than women, says ASA

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By Rebecca Stewart, Trends Editor

September 28, 2016 | 2 min read

Men in the UK are more likely than women to complain about advertising, according to figures from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

The ASA banned this ad from Gucci earlier this year for featuring 'unhealthily thin' models

The ASA banned this ad from Gucci earlier this year for featuring 'unhealthily thin' models

The British regulator's annual complaint figures have revealed that 56 per cent of issues raised in 2015 were filed by men, while 42 per cent were raised by women. The remaining percentage didn't specify their gender.

The research also found significant differences in the issues that men and women were most likely to complain about. Females lodged a high number of complaints about ads they felt were "harmful" or "offensive," while males protested against campaigns they believed to be "misleading".

64 per cent of men who contacted the ASA complained about ads being misleading compared with 41 per cent of women and 59 per cent of women who contacted the ASA took issue with ads that could cause harm or indignation compared with just 35 per cent of men.

This includes ads like Gucci's banned 'Cruise 2016' spot which was spiked for featuring "unhealthily thin" models.

The report also comprised a breakdown of the regions which complained about the most ads in 2015. London took the top stop, claiming 16.4 per cent of all complaints while Northern Ireland came bottom of the table contributing just 1.4 per cent.

The ASA handled over 29,500 complaints from consumers across the UK in 2015, and resolved a record 5,425 cases – treble the total for the previous year. In total 4,584 ads were changed or withdrawn, up 32 per cent on 2014.

Advertising Advertising Standards Authority

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