Well done SPUC supporters for big campaign on TV abortion ads!

SPUC's vigil outside the ASA

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has just published its annual report for 2010. According to the report (p.25), the Marie Stopes International (MSI) television ad "Are you late?" was the second-most complained-about ad (the most complained-about ad was by Paddy Power, a betting agency). However, if one looks closely at the ASA's figures, MSI's ad should in fact be given first place. The ASA said that it had received 1,088 complaints about MSI's ad, with 1,313 complaints about the Paddy Power ad; yet the ASA reports also says that:

"In addition to the complaints detailed above, we received over 3,600 other objections, some prior to broadcast and some via petitions."

So in fact the ASA received almost 4,700 complaints about the MSI ad, three-and-a half times more complaints than about the Paddy Power ad! Furthermore, that figure does not include all the complaints - either about the ad or about the general proposal to allow abortion agencies to advertise on TV and radio - received by:

• Ofcom - which was the main target of SPUC's campaign
• the Department for Culture
• the prime minister's office, party leaders and MPs (some interim figures from June last year). In addition, 29,000 people signed SPUC's 2009 petition to the prime minister.

We know that the vast majority of the complaints to the ASA and elsewhere came from SPUC supporters. So well done, SPUC supporters, for challenging the culture of death and showing that SPUC punches well above its weight!

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