In the year 2009, many people were annoyed by a Hell Pizza billboard advertisement offering gluten free brownies.

The tagline of their product was "at least our brownie won't eat your pet dog". The ad makers were probably referring to Tongan Paea Taufa being found roasting the pit-bull terrier-cross in an umu at his Mangere home.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) revealed that they received maximum complaints about this ad last year. The ASA further disclosed that the ad was not at all attractive and it was likely to be hated by people.

This is not the first time that ASA has received complaints against Hell Pizza ads. In 2006, their "Lust Pizza" condom-containing random direct mail received a still-record of 685 complaints.

Death is a subject that people do not find hilarious at all. In the year 2009 there were 52 complaints regarding a Stihl chainsaw ad. This ad depicted a son sitting on his dying father's bedside. The son reveals to the family that his father left to him the chainsaw with his dying words. While the father had actually mumbled the words, "look after your mother".

In the year 2009, 1339 complaints were filed against 829 advertisements, whereas in the year 2008, 1246 complaints were filed against 703 ads.