Ad gripes double in just a year
The number of complaints from consumers about offensive or misleading advertisements has virtually doubled since last year, prompting the industry watchdog to provide Greek advertisers with ethics lessons, sources told Kathimerini yesterday. The Communications Control Council (CCC) was formed last year to receive and act on complaints about advertisements. Less than 50 consumers voiced objections last year but so far this year, 85 complaints have been received by the watchdog. It has not just been regular television viewers that have been making their gripes known. The Union of Greek Nurses filed the most recent complaint to the CCC, over an advertisement involving a character playing a nurse that has sexual references. The managing director of CCC, Giorgos Papazisis, who is also the head of an advertising firm, told Kathimerini that the watchdog has ruled on 55 of this year’s complaints and found only 10 of them to be groundless. As a result, the organization has begun offering ethics lessons and intends to encourage upset consumers to file complaints.
