How to Make a Complaint

Before making a complaint about an alcohol advertisement to the Advertising Standards Complaints Board (ASCB) it is essential to obtain a copy of the booklet ‘Advertising Codes of Practice’ from ASCB at PO Box 10 675, Wellington or to visit their website www.asa.co.nz.

When making a complaint it is not sufficient merely to object on general grounds. You must state the Principle(s) and/or the Guideline(s) in the Liquor Advertising Code which you believe to have been breached. It is useful to put the exact wording from the rules in quotation marks.

When complaining about a print advertisement enclose the advertisement and state the name and date of the publication in which it appeared.

For radio and TV advertising the date, station and time of the broadcast must be given.

For billboard advertisements a good description of the location of the billboard is required. A photo is helpful too.

Keep your complaint brief. Do not get on a moral high horse about the harmful effects of alcohol.

A website www.asa.co.nz lists all decisions of the Complaints Board for several recent years.

These show the complainants' letters of complaint in addition to the Board's response and will give a guide into making complaints.

What to expect in response from the ASCB

You will get a letter saying the complaint has been received. It will also ask you to sign a waiver that you agree not to pursue the complaint in any other forum.

Your complaint may be ‘upheld’ in which case the advertiser will have to remove it.

It may be ‘not upheld’ or ‘settled’. In the latter case the advertiser has agreed to remove the ad without going through the full complaints process.

Appealing a Complaint

The ASCB has an appeal process. If you feel that your complaint has not been fairly heard you may wish to take it to appeal. Grounds for appeal are new evidence, the rules of natural justice were not followed, and the decision was against the weight of evidence.   

The Appeal Board is at the same address as the ASCB.