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Poster advertisers, traditionally the worst culprits for

overstepping the taste and decency mark, have cleaned up their act,

according to the Advertising Standards Authority annual report,

published this week.

Complaints about posters fell by 57% last year to 1,050. Complaints are

likely to fall again as poster contractors and specialist agencies

introduce a new poster pre-vetting procedure in June.

Complaints on the grounds of decency have also fallen across all media,

by 40% to 1,993, and the ASA received half as many complaints about

violent ads.

Complaints relating to the portrayal of women dropped last year, but the

ASA saw a rise in gender-specific complaints toward the end of 1997 for

portrayal of men, under the banner of ’girl power’.

Gun-related advertising campaigns attracted the most complaints, with

150 connected to two campaigns run by the Gun Control Network. The

complaints, mostly from supporters of gun ownership, were not upheld by

the ASA.

Lee Apparel was second, with 89 complaints for its Lee jeans poster by

Grey Advertising, which portrayed a woman’s boot on the buttocks of a

naked man. These complaints were also not upheld.