Consumer champion Choice apologises for ad featuring man in fridge
Consumer organisation Choice has apologised after it produced a print ad featuring a man sitting inside a fridge which led to complaints that it could be a dangerous example for children.
The subscription promotion featured an image of man sitting in fridge wearing a beenie and and white coat with caption “After testing 48 fridges, Petr has gone to all extremes to get you the best buy”.
A complaint to the Advertising Standards Board was upheld earlier this year, although the finding has not been previously reported.
The complainant said that the photograph would potentially tell their five year old child it was okay to climb into fridges which could be dangerous.
Choice said that after receiving the complaint it took the decision to cancel the leaflet from further distribution. However, by that point it had already been inserted with The Monthly, AFR Boss Magazine, Age Melbourne Mag, AFR Magazine, Gourmet Traveler Wine, New Scientist, Inside Out, Real Living and Country Style.
It apologised to the person who complained, saying: “We apologise if we indirectly conveyed the irresponsible activity of children (or anybody else) getting inside fridges. This was not our aim. The objective of the visual communication was to illustrate (albeit incorrectly based on your feedback) the extent to which our testers research products.”
In its finding against Choice, the ASB said: “The Board noted that there is a level of community concern about safety of children around empty fridges and freezers. The Board noted that, while fridges and freezers are no longer made with locks on the doors, should a child become shut into a fridge or freezer, it may be difficult for a child to get themselves out.”
Tim Burrowes founded Mumbrella in 2008. He worked on Mumbrella until 2021. At various points he was editor, content director and editor-at-large.
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One f***ing complaint causes all this. We are SO turning into the poms. What happened to a great Aussie ‘STFU’?
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TV is not real life. Kids need to learn that. The parents who made this complaint need to remove the bubble wrap from their kid and let them breath
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Really? Ok, can’t believe I’m even going to bother commenting – but 1) how many of us have empty fridges just sitting around?, 2) the kid is going to have to do a lot of removing of shelves to get in the fridge to start with, and 3) if it does get in AND manages to close the door how hard is it to open anyway?
How did we ever survive childhood with our parents unaware of such horrific dangers?
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Any kid that’s stupid enough to climb into a fridge probably should stay there.
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Oops, is my 5 year old falling behind in his reading? He’s not interested in Choice magazine.
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What are we becoming? The UK went through this sort of thing about ten years ago (and still are – just today the ABC had an article about a UK school threatening action against parents who allow their 8 year old to ride a bike to school) and now it looks like we’ve caught up…
Where can we go to make a complaint about a complaint?
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