Advertising Standards Canada releases 2008 complaint report
By Adnews Staff
Advertising Standards Canada of Toronto has released its annual review of consumer complaints for 2008. The report contains information about complaints submitted to the organization for review under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. In 2008 the group received 1,119 complaints about 778 advertisements. Of these, 126 complaints concerning 66 ads were determined to contravene the code of standards. The highest number of complaints, 154, came from the retail advertising category. "From the complaints submitted to ASC in 2008, it appears that consumers are scrutinizing advertising, particularly retail advertising, with an increasingly critical eye,” said Janet Feasby, vice-president of the organization. “More than ever before, consumers cited concerns about advertisements that contained pricing errors, omitted relevant information, or lacked clarity."