ASA - Advertising Standards Authority

The following decisions have been released to the ASA website:
Complaint 20/202 Family First, Unaddressed Mail, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/226 Fletcher Living, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/311 Dead Bird Books, Out of Home, Upheld in part, Not Upheld in part
Complaint 20/330 Tricia Cheel and NZ Outdoors Party, Billboard, Not Upheld
Complaint 20/357 Asahi Beverages, Long White, Billboard, Settled
Complaint 20/358 New Conservative Party, Unaddressed Mail, Upheld in part
Complaint 20/370 Goodman Fielder, Meadow Fresh, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/371 Dunedin City Council, Print, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/377 The Advance NZ Party, Out of Home, Not Upheld
Complaint 20/388 Reckitt Benckiser, Dettol Spray, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/391 Vodafone, Digital Marketing, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/392 New Conservative Party, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/395 Chorus, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/400 Lion, Scrumpy, Facebook, Settled
Complaint 20/271 Votesafe NZ, Billboard, Decline to Adjudicate and No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/364 NZ Transport Agency, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/404 Votesafe NZ, Billboard, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/412 Make It Legal NZ, Facebook, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/419 New Conservative Party, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/422 New Conservative Party, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/433 Smart Approaches to Marijuana NZ Coalition (SAM NZ) Say No to Dope, Radio, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/436 Smart Approaches to Marijuana NZ Coalition (SAM NZ) Say Nope to Dope, Print, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/027 NatuneHeal, Digital Marketing, Settled
Complaint 20/221 Jacobs Douwe Egberts NZ, Bell Tea, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/393 Global Shop Direct, Sara Mia, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/397 Hazmat, Radio, Settled
Complaint 20/402 Chorus NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/405 Sealord NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/408 Chorus NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/443 NZ National Party, Twitter, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/445 Vote Safe NZ, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/452 Vote Safe NZ, Digital Marketing, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/458 Voice for Life, Unaddressed Mail, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/464 Matt King National MP, Facebook, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/446 NZ National Party MP Brett Hudson, Facebook, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/457 Voice for Life, Website, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/465 NZ Labour Party, Google Ad Words, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/466 NZ Drug Foundation, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/467 Shanan Halbert and NZ Labour Party, Pamphlet, Settled
Complaint 20/301 Your Health Naturally, Digital Marketing, Upheld
Complaint 20/368 National Brands, Nitro, Facebook, Upheld
Complaint 20/386 Green Kleen, Digital Marketing, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/414 Brand Developers, Thin Lizzy, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/417 Ford Motors, Ford Ranger, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/418 Lotto NZ, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/421 Big J’s Takeaways, Facebook, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/468 Vote No to End of Life Act, Digital Marketing, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/470 Votesafe, YouTube, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/479 Votesafe, Out of Home, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 20/480 SAM Say Nope to Dope, Facebook, Decline to Adjudicate
Complaint 20/440 Advance NZ/ NZ Public Party, Print, Upheld
Complaint 20/441 Advance NZ/ NZ Public Party, Print, Upheld

Poster near playground socially irresponsible

The ASA received two complaints regarding a poster advertisement with the words: “sex, with animals” and “Laura Borrowdale” in large font, “Out July 10” in smaller font along with launch dates at two venues. The poster was displayed at several outdoor locations in central Christchurch, including near a children’s playground. The logo for Dead Bird Books was in small print at the bottom of the poster.

Two complaints were received, concerned the advertisement was unsuitable for children to see, and that the advertisement was promoting sex, with animals, which is a criminal act.

The Complaints Board agreed the likely consumer takeout of the advertisement was it promoted the launch of a book or performance called “Sex, with animals”. The Board said while the exact meaning of the statement was not clear from the poster, it was a play on the words “sex”, “with”, and “animals”. The possibility the poster was referring to bestiality could not be ruled out, and some children reading it could draw this conclusion.

The Complaints Board said while it was acceptable for the poster to be located in downtown Christchurch, the placement near a playground was socially irresponsible.

The Complaints Board ruled the complaints were Upheld in part.

Negative Ion Magnetic Bracelet claims misleading

The Your Health Naturally website advertisement for the Negative Ion Magnetic Bracelet included claims regarding the product’s ability to purify the blood, aid in improving circulation, reducing stress, improving brain alertness, and activating the immune system.

The Complainant was concerned the advertisement made unsubstantiated therapeutic claims.

The Complaints Board said the advertisement was misleading as it included therapeutic claims without adequate substantiation. The Board said subsequent amendments made by the Advertiser after receiving the complaint were insufficient. The Board noted the amended advertisement no longer contained the claims, however said it provided a link to further information which contained similar therapeutic claims. The Complaints Board said the advertisement was not socially responsible and ruled the complaint Upheld.