Children’s Ads Show Compliance With ASA Guidelines
Non-broadcast advertising very rarely breaks the guidelines for marketing to children, according to new research from the Advertising Standards Agency.
The latest survey into the compliance rate of marketing communications targeted at consumers under 16 shows that just 1% of non-broadcast ads aimed at children broke the current ASA guidelines during July this year.
The study confirmed the ASA’s belief that there is no general problem with non-broadcast marketing communications targeted at children. The watchdog stated: “The compliance rate revealed by this survey is high. Moreover, all the breaches were minor technical breaches rather than substantive breaches and that is encouraging.”
Press ads generated the most complaints, with ten breaching the ASA code and nine being regarded as questionable. All nine appeared in two issues of a magazine featuring the latest computer and console games. Of these, seven were regarded as unsuitable in a magazine of which 53% of its readers were under 15. The other two offending ads were believed to encourage violence or anti-social behaviour.
Just one ad on the internet fell short of ASA guidelines by failing to include the complete terms and conditions for a sales promotion. Meanwhile, outdoor, cinema and on-pack promotions did not have any complaints upheld against them.
The ASA’s survey revealed food advertising is the biggest area of marketing to children, making up 15% of all ads. However, it claims that marketing communications for food targeted at those under 16 do not appear to raise problems either in terms of their content or number.
The ASA acknowledges the sensitivity of the issue and accepts that the marketing of food to children will be part of the debate over the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity.
The research also revealed that despite the negative press coverage surrounding the launch of Cadbury’s ‘Get Active’ campaign, a promotion asking children to collect chocolate wrappers to get sports equipment for their schools, provoked no complaints to the ASA.
The research comes amid growing controversy over the ethics of food advertising to children and the effect it is having on their eating habits. A recent report from the Food Standards Agency confirmed that children are strongly influenced by ads promoting soft drinks, sweets, snacks and breakfast cereals containing sugar (see Junk Food Ads Found To Influence Children’s Diets).
ASA: 020 7580 5555 www.asa.org.uk
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