2014 was the year social media came into its own in making it easier than ever to complain en masse about advertisements. Sainsbury’s ad featuring a WW1 Christmas truce football match came fourth in the Advertising Standards Authority's 2014 top ten most complained about ads list. It attracted 823 complaints, most of which objected to the use of an event from the First World War to advertise a supermarket. But while acknowledging that some found it to be in poor taste, the ASA did not judge the ad to be offensive and in breach of its code.

Others failed to make it off the chopping block, however. Topping the list was Paddy Power’s Oscar Pistorius ad with 5,525 complaints. The national press campaign offered incentives to bet on the outcome of his murder trial. Making light of that and the death of a woman resulted in an immediate suspension. The fact that the three most complained about ads ever have appeared in 2014 reflects the rise of social media, which has allowed members of the public to voice and co-ordinate their concerns, the ASA notes. Many of the complaints about Paddy Power and the third placed ad (The Sun’s ‘Win a Date with a Page 3 Model’ which was deemed offensive and irresponsible for presenting women as objects to be won) were co-ordinated via the online petition site, change.org.

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