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Taste and Decency
Whether you’re a manufacturer of sandwich condiments, cars or popular
confectionery, it can be difficult to make impactful ads that stand out from the
multitude of other marketing messages that are a part of everyday life.
But
the ‘great British public’ can be a sensitive audience and a foot incorrectly
placed – even in places you may not have predicted – can lead to some difficult
questions and publicity of entirely the wrong sort (singing dogs and tender
kisses aside.)
Clause 5.1 of the Code states that marketing communications should not cause
serious or widespread offence and identifies race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation or disability as requiring special sensitivity.
It also states that marketing communications will be judged on where and when
they appear, the likely audience, the product being advertised and the
prevailing standards of decency.
Although they account for only about 20% of the ASA's work, complaints about ads
that offend are often the most high profile.
The ASA takes into account the media in which a marketing communication appears.
What is acceptable in magazines with a broad-minded (and relevant) audience
might not be acceptable on posters that are untargeted. Marketers can go some
way towards avoiding causing serious or widespread offence by ensuring that they
use a suitable, targeted medium to reach the right audience.
There is extensive guidance on our website on some of the
key issues:
·
Taste and Decency: Use of Stereotypes
·
Taste and Decency: Death
·
Taste and Decency: Disability
·
Taste and Decency: Elderly
·
Taste and Decency: General
·
Taste and Decency: Language
·
Taste and Decency: Nudity
·
Taste and Decency: Racism
·
Taste and Decency: Religion
·
Taste and Decency: Sex, Sexual Orientation
and Sexism
Although we can’t give you legal advice, we can help ensure compliance with the
Code and give you the confidence to know that your ads are unlikely to breach
the Code.
Contact the team on 020 7492 2210
or e-mail
copyadvice@cap.org.uk.
ASA and CAP in
Edinburgh -
17 November
On
Monday 17 November, CAP and the ASA will be holding free seminars at Our Dynamic
Earth in Edinburgh
– come and join us.
Alcohol advertising – the right measure?
9.30am – 12.15pm
Hosted by the Advertising Standards Authority’s Chairman, Lord (Chris) Smith,
this is an important platform for stakeholders in the alcohol advertising debate
to discuss the effectiveness of the current regulation of alcohol advertising
and look to what the future might hold. With representatives from the
Scottish Government, the Department of Health, the Department for Children,
Schools and Families and leading drinks industry contacts already confirmed to
attend – can you afford not to be there?
For more details and to register
click here.
An Insider’s Guide to Advertising Regulation
2.30pm – 4.30pm
A
‘one stop shop’ opportunity to find out all you need to know about advertising
regulation in the UK and how to stay on the right side of the rules. This
free event is of tremendous professional and practical value to anyone involved
in the production, design, publishing, broadcasting, distribution or compliance
of advertising or other marketing communications in the
UK.
Don’t miss out - click here to
register now.
Meet the Copy Advice Team
Everyone in my team of six is happy to deal with any question that may arise,
but we all have special interests in particular areas. In every edition of
Insight we introduce an individual member of the Copy Advice
team, so if you have specific relevant queries you will know who to come to.
You can contact the team by phone on 020 7492 2210 or by e-mail at
copyadvice@cap.org.uk.
Matthew Morgan
Matthew has a BA in History from the LSE. Before joining CAP he worked in
the Advertising Standards Authority Complaints team for 18 months. He has been
on the Copy Advice team for over a year and specialises in
telecoms advertising (including
broadband packages), the use of
“free” in marketing material,
taste & decency issues and
alternative therapies.
You can contact Matthew directly on
020 7492 2154
or email him at
matthewm@cap.org.uk
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