Blog Post 3: The ASA BCAP Code

I researched this to understand what restrictions and rules are placed on TV adverts to be approved for broadcast. This helped me as I learnt how my adverts should adhere to these rules and this was taken into account when considering my initial planning, idea and consequent proposal.

Sources used were;

ASA - BCAP Code

ASA top complained ads
New York Post

The ASA BCAP code is the UK rulebook for non-broadcast adverts, sales promotions and direct marketing communications. It is a legal set of rules all advertisers must adhere to for the safety of the British public. I researched this by looking at the ASA BCAP code online and picked out the rules that are useful and applicable to this project.

Compliance 

• Adverts must comply with the law and broadcasters must make that a condition of acceptance.
• Adverts must reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the code.

Recognition of Advertising

• Adverts must be obviously distinguishable from editorial content. The audience should quickly recognise the message as an advert.
• TV adverts must not refer to themselves in a way that might lead viewers to believe they are watching a programme.

Misleading Advertising

• Adverts must not materially mislead or be likely to do so.
• They must not mislead by hiding material information or presenting it in an unclear manner.
• Adverts must not exaggerate the capability or performance of a product or service.

Harm and offence 

• Adverts must not contain anything that could cause physical, mental, moral or social harm to persons under the age of 18.
• Adverts must not cause serious or widespread offence against generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards.
• Adverts must not include material that is likely to condone or encourage behaviour that prejudices health of safety.

Food, Food Supplements and Associated Health and Nutrition Claims

• Adverts must avoid anything likely to condone or encourage poor nutritional habits or an unhealthy lifestyle, especially in children.
• Adverts must not condone or encourage excessive consumption of any food.
• Nutrition claims must comply with the criteria in the EU Register.
• References to general benefits of a nutrient or food for overall good health or health-related wee-being are acceptable only if accompanied by a specific authorised health claim.

As my advert will be slotted on Channel 4 commercial breaks before the watershed time of 9pm, my adverts must have no reference towards gambling, sexually-orientated adverts and news or current affairs (especially of a tragic nature). The adverts must not juxtapose the nature of the programme in terms of suitability for the audience age group. 

An advert removed from the air for breaking the ASA code was a McDonald's advert featuring a boy and his mother talking about his dead father. The boy became visibly upset as he found few similarities between him and the father that his mother described and then felt better when he found out his father liked the same McDonald's order as he does. The ad attracted 256 complaints, saying that it was trivialising grief, was likely to cause distress to those who have experienced a close family death and was distasteful to compare an emotive theme to a fast food promotion. The fast-food chain pulled the ads immediately without any investigation and issued an apology.

This research taught me the main rules to consider when making my advert and how to keep the adverts suitable for the demographic and potential audience watching the program at the time of the commercial break. This will help my advert to remain suitable and truthful to the audience. I will take this information forward into the planning phase and proposal phase, to ensure my adverts fully fit the brief - which requires my adverts to be suitable and strictly adhere to the ASA code.