Ad Standards Releases Ad Complaints Report - 2017 Year In Review

TORONTO, March 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Ad Standards today released its Ad Complaints Report- 2017 Year in Review. The Report provides information about consumers' complaints submitted to Ad Standards in 2017 for review under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards.

Complaints Snapshot:

• 173 complaints about 46 advertisements were upheld by Standards Councils
• This is an increase over the 44 complaints about 30 advertisements upheld the previous year
• 224 complaints about 164 advertisements were administratively resolved by Ad Standards staff
• 1,808 total complaints received about 1,322 advertisements

"Canadians continue to care about the truth and accuracy of advertising," said Janet Feasby, Vice President, Standards at Ad Standards. "The number of complaints we received in 2017 rose to 1,808, up from 1,639 in 2016. This increase was driven by complaints about the non-commercial advertising sector (320 total complaints ‒ the highest by any sector). This 74% rise (184 to 320) from the previous year was due to a large number of complaints about advertising by a non-commercial advocacy group."

The 2017 Ad Complaints Report and summaries of consumers' complaints upheld by the Standards Councils are available at adstandards.ca/complaints2017

About Ad Standards
Ad Standards is Canada's national, independent, not-for-profit advertising self-regulatory body. We are committed to fostering community confidence in advertising and to ensuring the integrity and viability of advertising through responsible industry self-regulation. Ad Standards administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards, the principal instrument of advertising self-regulation in Canada, and a national mechanism for accepting and responding to consumers' complaints about advertising. Ad Standards Clearance Services reviews creative and offers consultative services in five categories, to help ensure advertising complies with relevant regulations.  

SOURCE Ad Standards

Christian Campbell, Communications Coordinator, Tel: [phone], ext. 227, [email protected]