An ad from Paddy Power Betfair owned Sportsbet has drawn a record number of complaints in Australia for suggesting that success at betting improves sexual appeal.
The ad has drawn nearly 800 complaints, the most ever for an Australian ad, according to local reports.
The country’s Ad Standards—which handles advertising complaints—said the ad sends a “false message to young males that gambling will improve their sexual appeal.” According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the ad shows a man, naked from the waist up, appearing to “manscape” his genital region.
Ad Standards Chief Executive Fiona Jolly said the large number of complaints shows that consumers are aware of advertising standards in the country.
“This year we’ve had two ads that have broken the record for the biggest number of complaints and, of interest, is that all of the top 10 were on free-to-air television,” she said in a press statement.
Jolly said advertisers need to familiarize themselves with provisions in the code of ethics adding that Ad Standards received a total of 6600 complaints for ads in 2018.
“The things that traditionally receive the most complaints under the code of ethics are issues around the depiction of women and sexualized images,” she said. “Advertisers need to really think about who they’re going to be showing the ad to—so not who they’re targeting, but who the ad is actually going to be seen by.”
