ASA

ASA Codes:

Harmful

• Ads must not contain anything that is likely to condone or encourage violence or anti-social behaviour.

• Ads, especially those addressed to or depicting a child, must not condone or encourage an unsafe practice. 

• Ads should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society. Particular care should be taken with ads addressed to or depicting children.

• Ads must not portray or represent children in a sexual way.

• Ads should comply with the law and should not incite anyone to break it.

• Ads must not cause fear or distress without justifiable reason; if it can be justified, the fear or distress should not be excessive.

• Marketers must not use a shocking claim or image merely to attract attention.

• Ads that are suitable for older children but could distress younger children must be sensitively scheduled.

• Ads for age-restricted products like alcohol and gambling must not be targeted at or likely to appeal to under-18s.

• Ads featuring sexual imagery, particularly posters that children are more likely to see, must be carefully targeted and avoid causing harm or offence.

Misleading

• No advertisement should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise.

• Marketers must hold documentary evidence to prove all claims, whether direct or implied that are capable of objective substantiation.

• Marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such.

 Offensive

• Advertisements should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Particular care should be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.

• Ads featuring sexual imagery, particularly posters that children are more likely to see, must be carefully targeted and avoid causing harm or offence.

• The fact that a product is offensive to some people is not grounds to remove an ad.

Ppt 1 harmful ads from Harrison_01