Radio Ads Get Junk Food Restrictions
Radio advertising has a new set of guidelines regarding the marketing of food and drink brands, following crackdowns on TV and online ads for these products.
BCAP, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, has unveiled new rules which ban the use of celebrities and other characters in ads aimed directly at children, especially those in primary school or younger.
Brands will also not be allowed to use promotional offers or make nutritional claims to very young children.
Encouraging “excessive consumption” of food or suggesting that confectionery and snack foods are an effective substitute for balanced meals has also been banned.
BCAP said that the new regulations will help protect the health of children by ensuring that ads do not promote “unhealthy lifestyles.”
The new rules come into force immediately, although brands in the advanced stages of radio ad campaigns will be allowed a period of grace until 16 December to comply.
Andrew Brown, the chairman of BCAP, said: “This is a significant milestone, with a strict, consistent and sound set of principles now applying across all media.
“The advertising industry has responded to government and public concern about rising levels of childhood obesity and demonstrated its commitment to playing its part in tackling the problem through the formulation of stringent advertising rules.”
Earlier this year, Ofcom’s first set of rules on junk food advertising to children came into effect (see Ofcom To Phase In HFSS Restrictions). The new rules banned high fat, salt and sugar food ads being shown during or around programmes that are made for or could appeal to children under 10.
In July, ISBA published a new set of guidelines for its members’ websites concerning online food and drink ads (see ISBA Sets Out Guidelines For Online Junk Ads), whilst 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).