The advertising campaign for Meat and Livestock Australia, which was also accused of being offensive to indigenous Australians, received a combined 747 complaints across television and online - almost a fifth of all the complaints received by the Advertising Standards Bureau in 2016. The complaints were dismissed.

The most complained about TV ad was an Ultra Tune commercial featuring two rubber-clad models and the tagline "We like rubber".

The car servicing company, which has a history of airing provocative ads, had three of the top 10 most complained-about ads of the year, with one upheld for breaching advertising standards.

Earlier this year, Ultra Tune executive chairman Sean Buckley told the ABC the ads were meant to be humorous, adding: "People should lighten up."

ASB Chief Executive Officer Fiona Jolly said the bureau received over 5000 complaints about advertisements in 2016.

"Discrimination and vilification is consistently one of the most complained about issues, along with sex, sexuality and nudity," Ms Jolly said.

"What we can see from this list is that the community is concerned about discrimination across a range of categories, including gender, race and lifestyle choices."

The most complained about ads in 2016

1. Meat & Livestock Australia

Lee Lin Chin gives the instruction to begin "Operation Boomerang" - a mission to rescue Australians from various countries so that they will be able to eat lamb on Australia Day.

Total complaints: 747

One complainant said the ad was offensive because a vegan's house is lit on fire while the vegan is still inside because he won't eat lamb. "I know someone who lives in a vegan household, and their child watched the ad and became fearful that people would burn their house down," the complainant said. A second complainant said the ad "sends a message saying that veganism is wrong and non-acceptable".

Another said the use of the use of the term "Operation Boomerang" showed a "distinctly anglo, and culturally insensitive approach".

The ASB dismissed the complaints on the grounds the violence depicted in the "irreverent" ad was clearly "exaggerated and unrealistic".

Meat & Livestock Australia's 'Operation Boomerang' ad.

2. Ultra Tune Australia

Two women in skin tight outfits dancing with the tagline "we're into rubber".

Total complaints: 416

One complainant said the ad was "degrading to women and had pornographic overtones".

The ASB dismissed the complaints because "whilst the women are portrayed as sexy they are also portrayed as confident and in the board's view the overall manner in which the women are depicted in the advertisement does not use their sexual appeal in a manner that is degrading".

Ultra Tune Australia ad with two women dancing in tight outfits, with the tagline 'we're into rubber'.

3. BCF (Boating Camping Fishing)

A group of men, women and children enjoy outdoor activities, accompanied by the jingle: "Boating, camping, fishing is BCFing fun."

Total complaints: 248

One complainant said: "The play on words is inferring language that is totally unnecessary to be broadcast into homes at any time particularly when children are viewing."

The ASB found the ad "did not use language which is inappropriate, strong or obscene in the circumstances" and dismissed complaints.

BCF advertisement using the phrase 'BCFing fun'.

4. Ultra Tune Australia

Two women are in a car which breaks down on train tracks.

Total complaints: 208

One complainant said the ad was "completely inappropriate for daytime TV due to the explicit content of seeing two women apparently being killed in an accident when a train crashes into them and then walking away from the crash".

The ASB upheld complaints because the ad "makes the women appear unintelligent and presents them in a stereotypical helpless female situation".

5. Ultra Tune Australia

Two women are in a car which goes off a cliff after being put into the wrong gear

Total complaints: 113

One complainant said the ad was "rude, stereotypical and sexist against women".

The ASB dismissed the complaints, saying: "The Board noted that the two women are wearing 'going out' clothing which is often revealing but considered that in this instance although the women's breasts are enhanced by the style of clothing the women are wearing, their breasts are not the focus of the advertisement."

Ultra Tune Australia ad depicts two women in a car which goes off the cliff after being put in the wrong gear.

6. Roadshow Film Distributors 

Advertising campaign for horror movie The Conjuring 2 featuring children screaming and people being flung across rooms and banging in to walls.

Total complaints: 82

One complainant said the ad "evokes extreme negative feelings, causes fear and distress in all members of my family ... I have anxiety and used to sleep with the lights on due to severe fears related to the content depicted in the advertisement."

The ASB found "the imagery and supernatural themes contained in the advertisements depicted a level of violence that was not justifiable in the context of the product or service advertised" and upheld the complaints.

7. Medibank Private

Advertisement celebrating diversity including heterosexual and homosexual couples kissing.

Total complaints: 66

One complainant said: "I object to advertising showing males kissing males, females kissing females as well as seeing a breastfed baby directly on the nipple of a female."

The ASB dismissed complaints because the depictions of kissing "were in the context of a broad range of depictions of loving relationships and that these scenes were not gratuitous or inappropriate".

The Advertising Standards Bureau dismissed complaints about this Medibank ad.

8. Honey Birdette

Three window posters depicting women in lingerie and the tag line "Room Service".

Total complaints: 59

One complainant said the poster "reduces women to sexual objects and gives girls and women the clear message that they are nothing more than objects for the purpose of men's pleasure".

The ASB found one of the posters was inappropriately "debasing and degrading" and upheld complaints.

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