ISBA Sets Out Guidelines For Online Junk Ads

ISBA has published a new set of guidelines for its members’ websites concerning online food and drink ads.

The industry body has emailed its 400 member companies and published best practice principles aimed at encouraging responsible “self regulation” when it comes to food messages and children.

The existing Committee of Advertising Practice’s (CAP) regulations cover all paid-for marketing communications online but do not extend to advertisers’ own websites.

Ian Twinn, director of public affairs at ISBA, said: “This new guidance reflects parental and consumer concerns, giving advertisers a chance to voluntarily extend self-regulation to the online space. It respects the spirit of the recent rules changes for advertising food and drink to primary and pre-school children.”

In April, CAP also enforced new rules that the advertisement of food and soft drinks should not encourage excessive consumption and should not use promotional offers in an ‘irresponsible’ way such as the use of characters of celebrities to promote products directly targeted a pre-school or primary school children (see New Food And Drink Ad Restrictions To Extend To Non-Broadcast).

Twinn added: “The best practice principles, although voluntary, are something for advertisers to consider integrating into their corporate social responsibility policies. We will continue working with all in the advertising industry through the Advertising Association to look at options for bringing the online environment further inside our world-beating self-regulatory system.”

Last November, television regulator and watchdog Ofcom banned all ‘junk food’ advertising around children’s television programmes following a protracted consultation (see Ofcom Bans Junk Food Ads In Children’s Programming).

In June, a bill to introduce a 9pm watershed for junk food TV adverts cleared its first major hurdle in the House of Lords (see Junk Food Ad Ban Bill Passes First Hurdle).

ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk