ASB releases Australia’s most complained ads of 2016 so far (Ultra Tune, Conjuring 2, Meat & Livestock Australia) [VIDEOS]

The ads for Ultra Tune, a car service franchise, are Australia’s most complained ads of the first half of 2016. The Advertising Standards Bureau has released the 10 ads that garnered the most number of complaints from January to June, with four Ultra Tune ads, a controversial Meat & Livestock Australia ad, and teaser trailers for “The Conjuring 2” making the list.

The majority of the complaints against the 10 ads in the mid-year tally included discrimination and exploitation. Complainers started early this year, with the ASB receiving most of the complaints for the top six advertisements in January and early February. The top six ads also received more than 100 complaints each, and the ad occupying the top spot garnered over 400 complaints on its own.

Only three of those in the list were found to breach the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics. One was found to breach the code on grounds of discrimination and vilification of women, one for violence, and the other for being exploitative and degrading of women.

One of those ads that have had upheld complaints was from Roadshow Film Distributors. The company showed seven different versions of the TV ad, each featuring scenes from the horror film “The Conjuring 2,” and all were complained to be too graphic and have had cause alarm and distress to adults and children.

Seven of the ads were aired on free-to-air TV, one was a poster, one was seen on social media, and the other was an Internet advertisement.

One of the ads – the Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd ad -- was placed in three separate mediums: free-to-air TV, Internet and social media. The ad, in which newsreader Lee Lin Chin announces the commencement of “Operation Boomerang” on Australia Day, is on the list three times. The Board reached the same decision for all three.

Here are the top 10 most complained ads of the first half of 2016 in Australia:

10. Ultra Tune Australia
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 54
Decision: Dismissed

9. Honey Birdette
Medium: Poster
No. of complaints: 59
Decision: Upheld

8. Medibank Private Ltd
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 66
Decision: Dismissed

7. Roadshow Film Distributors Pty Ltd
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 80
Decision: Upheld

6. Ultra Tune Australia
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 101
Decision: Dismissed

5. Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd
Medium: Internet-Social-Other
No. of complaints: 130
Decision: Dismissed

4. Ultra Tune Australia
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 208
Decision: Upheld

3. Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd
Medium: Internet
No. of complaints: 241
Decision: Dismissed

2. Meat & Livestock Australia Ltd
Medium: Internet
No. of complaints: 376
Decision: Dismissed

1. Ultra Tune Australia
Medium: free-to-air TV
No. of complaints: 418
Decision: Dismissed