ASA - Advertising Standards Authority

March 2022

The following decisions have been released to the ASA website:

Complaint 22/085 Simone Anderson, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 22/071 Foodstuffs NZ, PAK’nSAVE, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/068 Grabone, Website, Settled
Complaint 22/066 Kennards Hire, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/064 AA Insurance, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/062 Simone Anderson, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 22/061 Voices for Freedom, Billboard, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/060 Voices for Freedom, Billboard, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/059 Subway New Zealand Ltd, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/058 Life Direct, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/056 Frank Energy Ltd, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/055 Frank Energy Ltd, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/052 Grins NZ, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 22/038 Auckland City Electric Vehicles, Radio, Settled
Complaint 22/036 Hatch, Television, Settled
Complaint 22/033 Mondelez NZL, Cadbury, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/031 OneChoice, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/030 Auckland University of Technology, AUT, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/028 Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/026 Lion, Bacardi, Billboard, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 22/022 Internet Services Australia Pty Ltd, The Iconic NZ, Website, App, Settled
Complaint 22/018 NZ Scales, Website, Settled
Complaint 22/007 New Zealand Post Limited, Television, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/568 Stuff, Digital Marketing, No Grounds to Proceed
Complaint 21/563 The Chinese Consulate, Newspaper, Not Upheld
Complaint 21/560 NZME, NZ Herald, Website, App, Not Upheld
Complaint 21/543 New Zealand Herbals Limited, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/542 New Zealand Herbals Limited, Website, Upheld
Complaint 21/541 New Zealand Herbals Limited, Website, Settled
Complaint 21/531 Grins NZ, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/524 Appeal 22/001 Social Credit Party, Print, Appeal Declined, Complaint Upheld in Part
Complaint 21/523 Appeal 21/018 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Unite Against COVID-19, Radio, Appeal Declined
Complaint 21/462 Appeal 21/017 International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China, Billboard, Appeal Allowed in part, Complaint Upheld in part
Complaint 21/339 Appeal 21/015 New Zealand Government, Unite Against COVID-19, Print, Appeal Declined
Complaint 21/297 Gold Rock Ltd, Nano Silver Hand & Surface Sanitiser, Facebook, Upheld

Grins Instagram posts removed
Complaint 22/052 Grins NZ, Instagram, Settled
Complaint 21/531 Grins NZ, Instagram, Settled

Two Instagram posts from alcohol company Grins have been removed proactively following complaints to the ASA.

One of the ads showed a video of a person wakeboarding and drinking from a can of Grins. The complainant was concerned the ad promoted irresponsible behavior with an alcohol product.

The second post was a video captioned “You may be wondering where the inspiration for our can illustration came from. Let us paint you a picture”. The video showed an image of a dog in clothes waving, with headshots of Grins’ business owners, sportspeople Stephen Donald, Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown underneath. The complainant was concerned that showing All Blacks to promote an alcohol brand was socially irresponsible.

On receiving the complaints, Grins decided to remove the posts – an option advertisers can take in accordance with the principles of self-regulation, before a complaint goes to the ASA Complaints Board. Removal of the advertising is the same action the Board could request if a complaint is upheld. The Chair, Raewyn Anderson, ruled the complaints were settled.