In a wide-ranging report looking at the state of television, radio and telecoms in the UK, Ofcom said 44% of people questioned in 2003 thought TV advertising was clever, compared with 40% who felt the same way in 2002.
At the same time, the number of people who said they liked nothing about advertising fell from 21% to 18% while the number of people who felt TV advertising was truthful fell from 22% in 2002 to only 19% last year.
On the plus side for the ad industry, people said the thing they liked best about advertising was its humour and entertainment value.
Around half of all viewers said they were happy with the current levels of advertising but that they do not want an increase. A small number, 13%, said more advertising would be acceptable -- double the number who agreed with that statement in 2002.
Ofcom asked respondents about the issue of offensive advertising and found 40% could not name any offensive advertising in particular.
The ad to get the most mentions -- cited by 9% of respondents as an example of offensive advertising -- was the Wrigley's Xcite gum ad in which a dog emerged from a man's mouth. This was the most complained-about ad in the history of the Independent Television Commission.
The watchdog received a record 600 complaints about the Xcite spot, which was created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO.
The full Ofcom report, called The Communications Market 2004, can be viewed here.
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