KEY POINTS:
Hell Pizza had a devil of a time with complaints in 2007, topping a list of the most controversial ads for the second year in a row.
The fast-food franchise filled the top two spots in a list of the 10 worst offenders released by the Advertising Standards Authority last week - a list which also included a Government anti-drink driving ad featuring the words "pissed" and "screwed".
Heading the chart, with 44 objections, was HELL-O? magazine, a brochure featuring a saucy shot of Nicky Watson and a spoof story about the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin on the cover.
At number two was a billboard ad featuring Hitler saluting with a piece of pizza in his hand.
The ad received 32 complaints, but it was removed by the pizza company after objections were made by the Jewish community.
Hell can take some crumb of comfort from improving on its 2006 performance, when a maildrop of a condom in a cardboard case drew a record 685 complaints.
Burger King completed the top three for a TV ad featuring three bikini-clad women, which was deemed exploitative and degrading.
Two animated television adverts for Charlie's old-fashioned soda were in the top 10, with a billboard for Prime show Weeds, as were adverts for V energy drink, Mega V Men's Performance Supplement and the Erotica Expo.
Perhaps the most unexpected entry was the Government anti-drink driving ad featuring the words "pissed" and "screwed". The watchdog dismissed the complaints because the campaign reached its target market.
Last year was the busiest yet for the authority, which received 1160 complaints about 668 ads, and complaints about website adverts almost doubled to 109.
The authority's executive director, Hilary Souter, was pleased so many people used the system.
While some ads drew publicity for their risque nature, the majority of complaints were about misleading advertising. She said the authority's aim was to set boundaries and was pleased many advertisers withdrew ads that attracted complaints.
Massey University professor of marketing Janet Hoek said themes in the top 10 included what breaches "social decency" - what is acceptable to the majority of the community.
Hoek said rejection of complaints about the road safety ad showed the authority recognised the need for some advertising to be provocative.
"If it was a purely commercial agenda for the ad, the decision may have gone the other way."
Hoek said there were concerns about self-regulation because some companies started advertising after authority meetings to ensure maximum exposure before being told to stop. Similarly, companies such as Hell and Charlie's benefited from publicity surrounding censored ads. "There is no reason for them not to keep doing it," said Hoek.
Rachael Allison, head of marketing for TPF Group, which owns Hell and Burger King, told the Herald on Sunday the company did not set out to offend people.
"These are two extremely challenging brands... they are also extremely popular. We get more favourable comments than complaints, but they do alienate people at the same time."
Allison said Hell attracted complaints about its name and its provocative image meant negative attention was "unavoidable".
