Lesson 2
Regulating Adverts
Adverts cannot make any claims that they like.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has a code of practice.
In pairs mindmap what you think might contravene this code.
‘Decent, honest and truthful’
The key codes according to the ASA:
2.1 All marketing communications should be
legal, decent, honest and truthful.
6.1 Marketers should not exploit the
credulity, lack of knowledge or inexperience of consumers.
7.1 No marketing communication should
mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration,
omission or otherwise.
Lesson objective
To understand who regulates advertising
To consider whether it’s done
‘effectively’
What techniques do advertisers use to
persuade us to buy their products?
Do you think these techniques are fair?
Where do you think the line is?
Can you think of any adverts that you
think come close to the line (or even cross it)?
Ryanair promoted spring flights using an
ad featuring a model wearing a bikini with the caption "Book to the sun
now,"
The campaign promoted
cheap tickets in February and March to 11 locations, including Glasgow,
Lourdes, Rimini and Oslo.
The warmest three locations among the
total of the campaign - which promised tickets from £8 - have an average of
10C-14C during that period, while the coldest, Oslo, doesn't usually exceed 4C.
In 2007, the ASA disapproved
of L’Oreal’s television advertisement for mascara featuring Penelope Cruz on
the basis that it was unclear that Cruz was wearing fake eyelashes in the
commercial.
In 2011 the ASA banned L’Oreal advertisements featuring
Julia Roberts and supermodel Christy Turlington for being “overly airbrushed.”
The French make-up company admitted that the
images were digitally manipulated and retouched, but deny that
the ads were misleading.
The company claims they “accurately
illustrated” the effects of their products, and that the image of Roberts
was an
“aspirational picture.”
L'Oreal has argued that this is common industry
practice for photo shoots.
Jo Swinson, who is co-founder of Campaign for Body Confidence
and lodged the complaint, stated that Turlington and
Roberts "are naturally beautiful women who don't need retouching to look
great. This ban sends a powerful message to advertisers--let's get back to
reality."
January
2014
£9m TV and Poster campaign
Complainants, including the Natural
Hydration Council, argued that the claim "hydrates and fuels you better
than water" was a breach of the UK advertising code.
"There is already much confusion
over the role of sports drinks, and for the majority of people participating in
exercise and sporting activities water is all that is needed for effective
hydration," she said. "The majority of sports drinks contain calories
and may only have a positive contribution to make to professional athletes and
those participating in high-intensity, endurance activity.“
General Manager of the Natural Hydration
Council
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