Net out-of-home advertising revenue increased 11.9 percent in Q2 compared to the same period last year, according to the Outdoor Media Association (OMA). Outdoor advertising is rebounding after suffering throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and a new brand has recently moved up to lead the industry.

The OMA reports that net revenue for digital outdoor advertising was worth $283.2 million, accounting for 68.1 percent of total net media revenue year-to-date, growing from 58.7 percent over the same period in 2022.

“Our continued robust revenue growth shows advertisers’ trust in our channel. It’s a testament to our industry’s focus on clients and innovation,” says OMA CEO Elizabeth McIntyre.

Outdoor media bouncing back after the pandemic

With most of us locked away indoors and working from home in 2020 and 2021, the value of out-of-home advertising understandably declined and the industry suffered. 

In April 2021, even before infections had peaked in Australia, the OMA revealed that from Q1 2020 to the same period of 2021, net revenue for outdoor media fell 24 percent to $158.1 million.

“Q1 2020 was the last quarter where the industry posted growth, prior to feeling the effects of the pandemic. Like the economy we were worst hit in quarter two of 2020,” said then OMA CEO Charmaine Moldrich.

As outdoor spending now rebounds, McIntyre says the OMA is focused on building resilience into industry planning.

Paramount Global the new industry leader

The OMA recently released its annual report into the state of outdoor media, and it’s the streaming services that continue to spend big on outdoor advertising even in a post-pandemic world.

Paramount Global spent $14.3 million on out-of-home ads in 2022, dethroning rival Stan that had topped the list the previous year. Though streaming services were three of the four highest individual spenders, according to the report the retail industry as a whole is still the most invested in outdoor advertising.

Ad evaders now have limited chances to comply with YouTube’s advertising policy.

The video streaming platform has finally had enough of freeloaders cheating it of advertising revenue. Ad blockers allow users to hide sponsored posts and have been popular across the internet, but YouTube is finally tackling this behaviour by threatening bans from the service after continued use of such software.

“Video player will be blocked after three videos,” a YouTube notification tells users that it detects have installed an ad blocker, as first reported by Reddit user Reddit_n_Me. The pop-up message says, “It looks like you might be using an ad blocker. Video playback will be blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled.”

It also directs targeted users to sign up for its ‘YouTube Premium’ service, which is the legitimate option for disabling ads as “creators can still get paid”.

Ads are serious business for YouTube, and ad blockers violate YouTube’s terms and conditions.

The company has since confirmed its implementation of a three-strikes approach in a widely reported statement, stating that it has begun a “small experiment globally”.

Ad-blocking software has proven difficult to police

It’s too early to tell how effective this strategy will be for YouTube. Ad-blocking software has troubled platforms like it that offer services to users for free, for which advertising replaces upfront fees as a primary source of revenue.

Despite costing the company a significant amount of money, YouTube has until now largely accepted ad blockers. Perhaps because they have been tricky to stomp out.

Meta has struggled to restrict ad-blocking software from its platforms, failing in 2016 to stop popular browser plugin Adblock from hiding content on Facebook. At the time, approximately 198 million people used ad blockers worldwide.

More control over advertising content was given to users in hope that it would dissuade ad-blocking action, but the issue persisted. Adblock’s developers circumvented Facebook’s sponsor protections within days.

A new study by Cancer Council Victoria has revealed that gambling ads are not the only promotions unpopular with the public, as most people also want kids protected from junk food marketing.

The study of over 2000 Australians aged from 18 to 64 revealed an overwhelming discomfort with unhealthy food and drink companies using targeted ads for children. Eighty-one percent of participants think this practice should be banned.

“By the time a child is 13 years old, an estimated 72 million data points have been collected that can be used by marketers to build a profile and target them with sneaky ads for cheap junk foods,” says Jane Martin, executive manager of Food for Health Alliance.

In response to this study, Martin highlights a recent review of the Privacy Act as an opportunity for action on this issue.

Junk food ads under government scrutiny

Legislators are currently considering restricting unhealthy food and drink promotions.

Teal MP Dr Sophie Scamps has pushed for a total ban on junk food advertising during daytime hours, recently introducing the ‘Healthy Kids Advertising Bill’ to parliament. The Bill proposes banning such ads between the hours of 6.00am and 9:30pm.

“Right now a quarter of our children are already on the path to chronic disease because they are over the healthy weight range,” says Scamps.

The Bill has gained the support of Dr Monique Ryan, a former paediatric neurologist. 

With 1 in 4 Aussie kids overweight or obese it’s time for Parliament to act. I’ll be tabling a Bill to regulate junk food advertising today. There is a direct link between junk food ads & childhood obesity, so it’s time to act!#auspol #HealthyKidsAds https://t.co/fG3IourQBC

— Dr Sophie Scamps MP (@SophieScamps) June 18, 2023

A strong mandate for action

Lead researcher of the study from Cancer Council Victoria’s Centre for Behavioural Research for Cancer Dr Belinda Morley says almost 69 percent of Australian adults would support restrictions on advertising to protect children from junk food marketing.

“Of those survey participants in favour, most thought protections from marketing of unhealthy foods should apply until children were older,” says Dr Belinda Morley.

The study was recently published in the Health Promotion Journal of Australia and can be found in full here.

Advertisements for gambling could soon be a thing of the past, according to a new parliamentary report.

Handed down by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, the report titled ‘You win some, you lose more’ provides 31 recommendations that if adopted would see industry regulation overhauled. 

Ads directing consumers to betting websites and apps would be entirely banned.

“A phased, comprehensive ban on online gambling advertising is recommended within three years,” says MP Peta Murphy, chair of the committee. “This will give major sports and broadcasters time to find alternative advertisers and sponsors, while preventing another generation from experiencing escalating gambling harm.”

An Australian addiction

This country faces issues with online gambling unlike any other. Murphy says: “Australians are the biggest losers in the world when it comes to gambling.”

The committee heard evidence from public health experts, peak bodies, and considered lived experience of gambling harm, assessing the impact of present consumer protections. 

According to the report, the current regulatory framework is weak and responsible for Australians outspending all other countries on online gambling. Half a million people have requested account blocks on gambling spending from their banks.

“We have a culture where sport and gambling are intrinsically linked. These behaviours are causing increasingly widespread and serious harm to individuals, families, and communities,” says Murphy.

Not the first warning sign for gambling companies

The committee has been reviewing industry restrictions in response to growing community sentiment that exposure to gambling ads is inappropriate, adopting an inquiry on September 15 2022 after a referral from the Minister for Social Services.

A gambling ad by PointsBet was the subject of more complaints than any other in 2022, and both the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader recently expressed distaste for gambling ads.

The full ‘You win some, you lose more’ parliamentary report can be found here.

The effectiveness of Australia’s restrictions on gambling advertising will be in the spotlight at a public hearing this Friday 10 February. It forms part of a parliamentary inquiry into online gambling and its impacts on those experiencing gambling harm. 

The hearing comes in the wake of “strong and growing public support” for increased restrictions on advertising, marketing and promotion of online gambling products, according to the inquiry.

Last year, the Australian Communications and Media Authority told the inquiry that complaints about gambling had been steadily growing since 2018.

“Research presented to us indicates that saturation advertising increases online gambling harm and normalises gambling for children and young people,” says chair of the standing committee inquiring into the issue, Peta Murphy.

The committee is considering whether current consumer protections around online gambling are enough to reduce harm. Under the current rules, there are certain limitations placed on playing gambling ads during children’s programs and live sports, as well as restrictions on ads containing misleading or socially irresponsible content.

The committee will hear from public health experts and peak bodies, advertising industry representatives and broadcasters about whether the current regulatory system is meeting community expectations.

“We will also hear from individuals who have experienced gambling harm about the inducements and VIP offers they received despite their efforts to self exclude and opt out of marketing communications from online gambling operators,” says Murphy.

Read about the new set of online gambling ad taglines the National Consumer Protection Framework introduced last year.

Aussies love a good whinge. And sometimes, it’s for good reason. 

Ad Standards is the self-regulatory body that decides whether the nation’s complaints about advertising are dismissed or upheld. It then has some powers to have ads modified or removed.

In 2022, Ad Standards investigated more than 250 ads that raised issues under the advertising industry codes. Around 50 ads were found to be in breach of the rules.

“We’ve seen a high proportion of complaints this year about advertisers using sexual appeal or violence in their marketing campaigns, which some members of the community have found offensive and unacceptable,” says Ad Standards executive director Richard Bean. 

“We have also acted on a number of complaints that raised concerns about discrimination being depicted in advertising.” 

Ads seen on free-to-air TV prompted the highest number of complaints again this year, followed by Instagram and TV on-demand services. 

Gambling ad takes out top spot

The most complained about ad in 2022 was work from PointsBet that featured Shaquille O’Neal and Australian comedy duo the Inspired Unemployed speaking in exaggerated Australian colloquialisms. 

While some submissions took issue with what they saw as role models promoting gambling to youth, more were unhappy with phrases like “get a dog up ya!”

“This particular ad elicited a strong response from some viewers who were concerned that it was offensive and insulting to Australians, particularly young men,” says Bean.

Ad Standards decided the complaints did not stand.

“While the Ad Standards Community Panel acknowledged these concerns, they found the ad contained self-deprecating humour which would be seen by most to celebrate Australians rather than ridicule them. It was therefore found not in breach of the rules.”

Top five most complained about ads of 2022

In their own ways, these ads irked the Australian public. 

1. PointsBet – Free-to-air TV ad
   This television ad features Shaquille O’Neal and the Inspired Unemployed speaking in exaggerated ‘Aussie’ accents.
   Main concern: Discrimination or vilification Number of complaints: 42
   Outcome: Dismissed

2. Nimble Australia – Free-to-air TV ad
   This television ad features a man named “Bill Shock” whose mouth is wide-open throughout the ad.
   Main concern: Discrimination or vilification
   Number of complaints: 24
   Outcome: Upheld

3. Uber Eats – Free-to-air TV ad
   This television ad features Paris Hilton and the Irwin family. A scene suggests that a snake has eaten a chihuahua.
   Main concern: Violence
   Number of complaints: 23
   Outcome: Dismissed

4. Gotham City House of Sin – Billboard ad
   This billboard ad for a brothel features a woman wearing black lingerie.
   Main concern: Sex, sexuality, and nudity; exploitative or degrading sexual imagery
   Number of complaints: 21
   Outcome: Dismissed

5. Universal Pictures – Free-to-air TV ad
   This television ad promoted the film ‘The Black Phone’.
   Main concern: Violence Number of complaints: 18
   Outcome: Dismissed