Worst ads of 2024: KFC, Red Rooster trump a brothel to have ads crowned most complained-about in Australia

Who would have thought an ad about fried chicken would be so controversial?

Ads from two fast food brands have topped the chart as Australia’s most complained-about ads in 2024, beating out campaigns promoting gambling, erectile dysfunction, and a brothel.

Advertising regulator, Ad Standards, revealed its top 10 worst offenders of the year, saying it received 4000 complaints about 320 ads across a variety of categories.

Of the infamous ads, 178 were reviewed by a panel and complaints were upheld for 88 of them. The remaining complaints were resolved informally.

Fast food brands KFC and Red Rooster topped the list, the former featuring twice in the top 10 over concerns about depictions of “sexual themes” and anti-social behaviour.

A KFC TV ad showing a woman exiting the bedroom of a younger man presumably after a “casual sexual encounter”, much to the surprise of her younger daughter, received 69 complaints — the most of a single ad in 2024.

Another TV spot from the fried chicken brand, which came in fifth place with 41 complaints, also raised concerns about its “depiction of sexual themes”, showing a couple “having an awkward interaction in bed”.

Neither ad was found to breach the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics or Children’s Code and the complaints were dismissed.

A TV ad from Red Rooster showing a skateboarding man chicken at a park was the second-most complained about in 2024, with 55 complaints. Complainants argued the ad promoted “anti-social behaviour and theft” and could “incite” people to “take from others”. Ad Standards did not find a breach and dismissed the complaints.

Also in the top 10 were ads for a super fund (with 45 complaints), a casino-style mobile game (44 complaints), erectile dysfunction treatment (35 complaints), a fertility provider (24 complaints) and car insurance (23 complaints).

Two ads in the top ten were found in breach of the advertising rules: a mobile billboard promoting Victorian brothel Gotham City and a TV ad for Budget Direct home insurance showing a pool cleaner that comes to life.

The Gotham City digital billboards received 28 complaints for showing a range of “graphic” images showing “sexual themes, nudity and exploitative imagery”. Ad Standards ordered the images be removed from the truck and not used again.

The other ad found to breach the Code was a TV spot for Budget Direct that showed a pool cleaner coming to life after being struck by lightning. The 22 complaints were concerned about depictions of “violent and frightening imagery particularly for children”.

The most complained-about business was lingerie brand Honey Birdette, which received complaints for 31 of their ads in the past 12 months, 16 of which were found to breach the AANA code of ethics.

Apple and Gotham City each received complaints for six ads, Paramount and Yum Restaurants International (KFC) had five complaints, while Budget Direct, Sports Bet and Universal Pictures had four complaints each.

Under consumer law, enforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), ads must bot be misleading or deceptive. Breaches of that law can result in penalties of $50 million.

The AANA Code of Ethics, however, is a self-regulatory code that is enforced by Ad Standards to provide principles for advertising. Businesses or ads found in breach of the code will not be met with financial penalties but will be ordered to remove or modify the ad to comply with standards.