The total number of complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority fell 13 per cent last year to 25,214, although this was not driven by a new era of responsibility; just a clarification that website content could not be banned.
According to the ASA’s annual report, a drop in complaints about Internet ads led the way. They tumbled by 25.3 per cent to 2,548 as the public finally got to grips with the fact that the ASA cannot outlaw general site content, only marketing material.
Individual complaints about direct mail fell by just 3.3 per cent to 932, despite Royal Mail figures which reveal another huge decline in mailing volumes. But while there are fewer separate cases (down 18.5 per cent to 576) more people are registering complaints about them to the ASA.
Direct mail remains in the top five most moaned about disciplines, behind TV, Internet, outdoor and press. A mailing from Cardell Media even had the dubious honour of being in the top ten most complained about ads of 2010, proping up eighth spot with 185 protests.
Individual email protests actually rose – by 1.2 per cent to 739 – but the number of cases is virtually the same at just over 600. Mobile phone ad complaints dropped by 74.4 per cent to just 10 for the whole year, but text messaging soared by 17.9 per cent to 145; yet this is still a miniscule number when compared to other disciplines.
Chairman of CAP and BCAP Andrew Brown remained upbeat. He said: “The new advertising codes show self-regulation at its best.”
