The ads we loved to hate

Andy Haden might have liked it, but a Hell Pizza billboard advertising gluten free brownies annoyed more people than any other in 2009.

The billboard carried the catch phrase "at least our brownie won't eat your pet dog", a reference to Tongan Paea Taufa being found roasting the pitbull terrier-cross in an umu at his Mangere home.

The advertisement was the most complained about ad last year, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said in its annual report, which upheld 62 complaints about it.

The "brownie" ad did not meet a due sense of social responsibility, was distasteful and reasonably likely to cause serious or widespread offence, the ASA said.

Hell Pizza regularly puts the topping on the ASA list, with its 2006 "Lust Pizza" condom-containing random direct mail promotion arousing a still-record 685 complaints.

People did not find death all that funny in 2009 -- 52 people complained about a Stihl chainsaw ad, in which a son beckoned to the bedside of his dying father tells family the old man left him his chainsaw with his dying words, when what he actually croaked was "look after your mother".

Complaints that was in poor taste were not upheld.

Using nuns to advertise an erotic expo annoyed 45, a tampon ad which implied women should look after their "beaver" gnawed away at 44, ASB claiming to be a "Kiwi Bank" riled a patriotic 25, and ACC attempts to explain controversial ACC motorcycle levies got 20 revved up.

In 2009, 1339 complaints were received about 829 advertisements, up on 1246 and 703 in 2008.

Television ads attracted most complaints (33 percent of the total), with misleading advertisements the biggest target (40 percent).

Most complained about ads of 2009:

• Hell Pizza, billboard. "At least our brownies won't eat your pet dog". (62 complaints, racist). Upheld.

• Stihl chainsaw, television. Dying man tells son to "look after your mother", but the son reports the old man has left him the chainsaw. (52, bad taste, insensitive). Not upheld.

• Erotica Lifestyles Expo, billboard. Two nuns praying, one "good by day" the other "naughty by night". (45, morally and religiously offensive). Not upheld.

• U tampons, television. A woman accompanied by an animated beaver is implored to give it tampons as "you've only got one". (44, objectified and degraded women). Not upheld.

• ASB Bank, website, billboard, in-store, bus. "We've been a Kiwi Bank since 1847", creating the impression it is New Zealand-owned. (25, misleading). Not upheld.

• ACC, newspaper. Ad explained ACC motorcycle levies, but motorcyclists said it overstated their chances of having a claim-related accident. (20, misleading). Not upheld.

• Widex hearing aids, billboard. Woman wearing only a coat, high heels and stockings, with a message "to hear no evil would be a bit of a shame". (19, offensive to women). Not upheld.

• Sky TV, television. Viewers told they can "escape" a bad day using MYSKY, with one unfortunate shown having his hands chomped off by a shark. (19, violent and offensive). Not upheld.

• Cadbury, television. Ad for Moro chocolate bar showed a brief clip of two horses mating. (10, offensive and unsuitable for children). Not upheld.

• Coca Cola, television. Under-dressed women dancing around a newly single man, who says "you don't want to be with one woman, when there are so many women out there". (10, discriminatory toward women). Settled, withdrawn by advertiser.

• D Vice, billboard. Four people kneeling in prayer, with one woman smiling. A caption says "anal beads from $55.99". (10, offensive to Catholics). Upheld.

• Mediaworks NZ, radio. An ad for TV3 website had a recording of David Bain's 111 call after finding his family dead. "A lot can happen in 30 seconds, that's why we update our website around the clock". (10, personal recording, offensive). Settled, withdrawn by advertiser.