Australians lodged around 5,000 formal complaints about adverts in 2025, and the one that attracted the most controversy was a surprising one. After reviewing hundreds of ads, Australia’s advertising regulator has revealed the 10 most complained-about commercials.
Out of the 230 advertisements, a series of commercials featuring Kia’s ‘zombie-proof’ EVs copped the highest number of complaints. Most of the 86 submissions worried that the zombies would scare children, and while the Ad Standards Community Panel decided that the ads weren’t “overly scary or graphic”, it was actually something else they found that breached the motor vehicle advertising rules.
The panel found that the ads depicted a remote parking assist feature that would break road rules.
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Some complaints said that the ad was “completely inappropriate”, with some people saying the zombies “offended” them.
Interestingly, YouTube viewers loved the ads.
“This is the first commercial I have enjoyed in decades,” wrote one person.
“Best commercial in a long time,” another said.
“This is by far the best commercial I’ve seen in a long time,” a third said. “Congrats to the geniuses who came up with the idea.”
A Dettol ad also sparked a big reaction from the Australian public due to the inclusion of “somewhat uncomfortable moments”, like a child picking their nose.
Complaints described the ads as “gross” and “sickening”, however, the panel found that the videos complied with advertising rules and noted that there was nothing that encouraged behaviour that was unhealthy for unsafe.
Most complaints in 2025 were due to sex and nudity, followed by violence and then health and safety.
Many Aussies were also angered when ads contained things they considered “tasteless, gross or relied too heavily on shock value”.
Executive Director Greg Wallace said that Ad Standards pays very close attention to viewer sentiment.
Dettol’s ad showed a boy picking his nose and wiping it across his tablet, which many said depicted unhygienic behaviour. Photo: YouTube/Dettol Australia
“Australians care deeply about the advertising they see and hear every day and aren’t afraid to speak up if they think a brand has overstepped,” he said.
“We take that feedback seriously and work closely with industry to support responsible advertising.”
“This year we saw a number of complaints from people who were turned off by ads they felt crossed the line on taste.
“While shock tactics may seem appealing from a creative standpoint, they can quickly backfire. Australians respond far more positively to advertising that’s clever and creative rather than deliberately provocative.”
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What were the top 10 complained-about ads on Australian TV?
Kia Australia – 86 complaints: The ad featured Kia’s ‘zombie-proof’ EVs, which some found frightening.
Dettol – 70 complaints: The ad showed a boy picking his nose and wiping it across his tablet, which many said depicted unhygienic behaviour.
Caruso’s Natural Health – 67 complaints: The ad promoted a vaginal health probiotic, which some said featured inappropriate language.
Youi – 65 complaints: This ad featured a family discussing shopping for car insurance and comparing it to Aunty Kate’s search for a boyfriend. “Stop shaming women,” one person said of the ad.
Big W – 37 complaints: The ad showed a young child sticking up her (pixelated) middle finger, which was deemed a breach for inappropriate nonverbal language by a child.
Red Rooster – 34 complaints: The ad showed a skateboarder stealing a chicken at a skate park, which some considered to depict anti-social behaviour.
Pilot – 32 complaints: This ad promoted a treatment for erectile dysfunction, which featured a garden hose and the main concern was the sexual innuendo.
Rexona – 31 complaints: This ad showed several close-up shots of body parts with labels like “bums” and “balls”. There was no breach, but some viewers were concerned about “inappropriate language, sex and nudity”.
Bankwest – 27 complaints: The ad showed a woman’s “power move” of using her colleague’s mug, and some people thought it promoted workplace bullying.
Westpac – 25 complaints: The ad featured a man feeding his dog ice cream. Several viewers thought this was ‘animal mistreatment’.
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