Advertising Standards Authority Reveals Growing Public Concern

Published today is research carried out by the Advertising Standards Authority(ASA) this year which shows that the public are increasingly concerned with taboos such as swearing, sexism, homosexuality, drugs and religion in advertising on TV.

Bad language, sexually explicit images or inappropriate images of young children were most likely to cause concern. Eight out of ten people agreed that in press advertising bad language or rude gestures should never be allowed. Of those surveyed, more people were offended at the way that both men and women were portrayed as sex objects in advertisements than in 1996, even though the actual complaints lodged concerning the portrayal of women halved: down from 846 to 433.

The number of people offended by adverts ‘simply showing’ gays or lesbians doubled since 1996, and this was the biggest change in response. Four out of ten people shown an advert featuring a lesbian kiss said that they were offended by it.

Fifty-five per cent of people surveyed were offended by an advert featuring drug imagery, and the fact that they were not questioned specifically on the portrayal of drugs perhaps signifies a greater amount of drugs awareness. Eight out of ten people agreed that ‘disrespectful references to any religion, race or culture should never be allowed’; this applied to minority religions as well as Christianity.

Most relevant to the ASA’s rulings on taste and decency is the concern that they correspond with public opinion, and the organisation received general and widespread support from the public surveyed. Matti Alderson, ASA director general says: “It is important that we carry out this sort of research to enable us both to examine public attitudes towards previous ASA rulings, and to help the industry to test the water for future advertisements. We should not over react to these findings but what the research has shown us is that the ASA’s rulings are in line with public opinion.”

Advertising Standards Agency: 0171 436 1698