1.What is the background of the ASA?
As a result, the industry (agencies, media and advertisers) came together to form the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and produced the first edition of the British Code of Advertising Practice. The industry’s actions meant that an official report on Consumer Protection by the Molony Committee, published that same year,
The Committee of Advertising (CAP) was formed in 1961, and stood as the primary regulators for updating the British Code of Advertising. However, later on Cap was replaced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which is now responsible for the regulation of advertisment and dealing with complaints.
2. What is the role of the ASA in the regulation of advertisements?
'As well as acting on complaints, we carry out many other regulatory activities to make sure advertising stays within the rules. For example, the ASA actively checks ads in all media and regularly conducts surveys of advertisements published by sectors where there is either unsatisfactory compliance with the Codes or where there are societal concerns about that sector. Together with CAP, we work to support the industry to help them get their ads right before they are published. For example by providing guidance, pre-publication advice and training for the industry.'
ASA are responsible for regulating all adverts, making sure that the public does not get offended or fed misleading information in any form. ASA are further responsible for all complaints that the public may have about certain ads, this can be resolved by changing the adverts or taking it off air.
ASA are responsible for regulating all adverts, making sure that the public does not get offended or fed misleading information in any form. ASA are further responsible for all complaints that the public may have about certain ads, this can be resolved by changing the adverts or taking it off air.
3. What is the legal standing of the ASA in relation to Ofcom?
'In 2010 Ofcom designated the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to regulate advertising on these services. Ofcom has designated the ASA to be the appropriate regulatory authority to carry out certain duties in relation to advertising on ODPS, including:
- deciding what constitutes advertising on ODPS;
- publishing Rules and Guidance on advertising on ODPS; and
- determining whether an ODPS has contravened such Rules'
The ASA work for Ofcom as they do regulate all media for the public, This in turn means that ASA have to meet Ofcoms regulations as well as their own. The ASA must check through all content as procedure to see if the codes and the rules are not broken and that the public will be safe watching a particular advert.
4. What are the procedures of the organisation?
- consider what harm or detriment has occurred or might occur;
- balance the risk of taking action versus inaction;
- consider the likely impact of our intervention; and
- consider what resource would be proportionate to the problem to be tackled.'
ASA's procedure first of all starts with a number of complaints that they receive from the public. Once they have a considerable amount of complaints concerning a specific advert, they will then investigate the advert and further understand how it has been interpreted. They will further suggest how the advert can be changed and improved or they may take it off air completely.
5. What are the key parts of the code governing food and soft drink advertising and children and advertising that you think will be important to bare in mind for your advert?
The main thing that i need to consider is the information that is put into the advert. When producing a food or drink advert, the main concerning regulation is the truthfulness of the information. It perhaps maybe that i need to consider what information is put into the advert and what information is left out.
6. Choose at least 4 TV advertising case studies of problematic food and soft drink advertising and children and advertising?
This Coca-Cola advert was banned, because some people felt there was some misleading information, as the advert states by laughing for 75 seconds it would burn 139 calories. Coca-cola did dispute that it was intended on showing people what can be done to burn calories as there is an ever growing increase in obesity. However the ASA banned this advert because the information was misleading and unclear, the advert was unclear in showing that by doing all of the activities it would burn the calories not just by doing an individual activity.
This advert for Popchips was also banned, because the public found it not only misleading but also very racist. Ashton Kutcher plays a series of stereotypical men trying to find love on a dating website, and apart from the two times the pop chips are shown, the rest of the advert has nothing to do with the product. Furthermore, the very fact that the each character was very stereotypical also made the ASA take the advert off air, as it was offensive.
This advert for Heinz Baked beans was further banned as the ASA deemed the content to be unsafe and a risk to children. The Advert portrays teenagers using an empty, clean Heinz baked beans tin as a drum to create a song. However the ASA said that there was a health and safety risk as people could easily cut their hands on the tin. Moreover, the ASA received 3 complaints along with others also raising a concern for safety, which was a main reason the ASA condemned the advert thus reporting that it, 'the ad condoned and encouraged behavior that prejudiced health or safety'.
This pot noodle advert, 'Peel a top of a hottie' was banned by the asas for being offensive, sexist and degrading to women. The advert was a 3 part series in which 2 of the adverts made it to TV and online whilst one of them was banned, after receiving 18 complaints which launched the ASA investigation. The advert denotes an average looking man sitting on the bus with a pot noodle, to which an attractive women also appears, as they further dance. The complaints stemmed from firstly the sexual nature of the advert but further the fact that as the pot noodle is finished so is the women. Moreover, the comparison between the ending of the pot noodle and the women is what received more controversy. ASA further said that the advert was, 'crass and degrading' also saying that the company were irresponsible when considering the public.
This advert for Heinz Baked beans was further banned as the ASA deemed the content to be unsafe and a risk to children. The Advert portrays teenagers using an empty, clean Heinz baked beans tin as a drum to create a song. However the ASA said that there was a health and safety risk as people could easily cut their hands on the tin. Moreover, the ASA received 3 complaints along with others also raising a concern for safety, which was a main reason the ASA condemned the advert thus reporting that it, 'the ad condoned and encouraged behavior that prejudiced health or safety'.
This pot noodle advert, 'Peel a top of a hottie' was banned by the asas for being offensive, sexist and degrading to women. The advert was a 3 part series in which 2 of the adverts made it to TV and online whilst one of them was banned, after receiving 18 complaints which launched the ASA investigation. The advert denotes an average looking man sitting on the bus with a pot noodle, to which an attractive women also appears, as they further dance. The complaints stemmed from firstly the sexual nature of the advert but further the fact that as the pot noodle is finished so is the women. Moreover, the comparison between the ending of the pot noodle and the women is what received more controversy. ASA further said that the advert was, 'crass and degrading' also saying that the company were irresponsible when considering the public.
