Contact the advertiser directly
Advertisers are generally concerned about public perception and, in many cases, they may not realise they’re offending people with their advertising. Often the simplest way to remove a piece of sexist content is to contact the advertiser directly, and to request a response.
Make your complaint in writing, and clearly outline how the ad is discriminatory or sexist, and why it is harmful. Be as clear as you can – they can only address your complaint if they can understand why you find their ad offensive. Weight of numbers also helps – encourage your friends, family and workmates to write their own letters or emails too.
The advertiser should respond to your complaint. Make sure you keep a copy of any correspondence you send and receive, so that you've got a record of the issue having been raised. If you're not happy with their response – which isn't uncommon – you've got the right to escalate your complaint to one of the regulatory bodies listed below.
Contact the Advertising Standards Bureau
The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) was created by advertising companies to police themselves. It works to uphold a code of ethics created by the advertising industry, but it's not backed up by any government legislation.
The ASB is often people's next stop if they're unhappy with the response they got from the advertiser, but you can also go straight to the ASB without going to the advertiser first.
You can make your complaint by going to the ASB website, hitting the 'Lodge a complaint' button on the front page, and then filling in your details and the specifics of the offensive ad.
The ASB will examine your complaint, decide whether it should be acted on, and let you know their decision. If they agree with you, they'll ask the advertiser to remove the offending advertisement – and the advertisers pretty much always comply. If they rule against your complaint, you can ask for a review of the decision at a cost of $100 (which is refunded if they end up changing their original stance).
Contact the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission
This is the government body that helps people resolve complaints about discrimination, sexual harassment, victimisation and racial or religious vilification. You should approach the commission if you think the ad you saw is in breach of discrimination laws – there's no requirement to contact the advertisers or the Australian Standards Bureau first.
You can lodge a complaint with them online or by calling 1300 292 153. You can make a complaint in any language, and the commission can organise a translator or sign language interpreter if needed.
The commission uses a conciliation process to resolve complaints, by having the people involved talk through the issues with the aim of reaching an agreement about how to resolve the dispute.