Advertising Standards Authority Concerns

Taste and Decency

Sometimes, people can use images and language in advertising that are intended to shock, but can sometimes offend or embaress, making the public angry at this controversial material. The ASA are there to control what is used in advertising and where to draw the line.
Although offensive advertising is a large area of complaint taken by the ASA, misleading advertising is the biggest. Offense caused by advertising is a lethal threat as it can reduce the possible revenue for the companies.

Some people argue that freedom of speech should be excersised in advertising and think that other peoples ideas and views should not be controlled by the government so many factors have to be taken into account before the ASA decide wether or not and advert should or should not be shown.

Terms in what is acceptable in taste and decency is obviously changing as can be seen with exposure of women, whereas a topless woman in a newspaper 50 years ago would have shocked everybody, nowadays its an everyday thing.


The advertising codes state that advertisements should contain nothing
that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence. Homosexuality, sex, race and religion are some of the topics that advertisers have to be careful with.

The ASA must consider these things before releasing an advertisement: context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards of decency. The codes the ASA works with, will allow advertisements to be distasteful but not offensive.

Social Responsibility

Advertisements can be socially unresponsible by:

• Using scenes or images that people may unduely fear or distress the public.
• Scenes that could encourage people to behave irresponsively.
• Advertising products that can be hazardous to health.
• Advertising aimed at children that may encourage them to feel inferior, pester parents or result in mental or physical harm.

"Copycat Syndrome - So called "Young" or "Immature" people may copy some things seen in advertising which may cause mental, or physical harm to themselves or others.
Rule breaking is something advertisers need to keep an eye on aswell. Certain images or scenes that may provoke lawlessness can again cause the "immature" to act in a way they shouldnt. A good example is cars and the association of speeding in films such as "The Fast And The Furious" which portrays speeding as cool.

Advertisers also have to be careful when using well-known people to advertise their products and using someone who will cause controversy may not be worth using. A good example of this is "Reebok's 50 Cent" campaign, which caused many complaints due to his controversial history and the effects his music may have on some children and his use of a use of gun appearing to be endorsing "gun culture"

Children and Advertising

Common issues that concern the ASA regarding children and advertising:

• Advertising food and drink to children that may contain high sugar levels or excessive fat.
• Portraying children in any kind of sexual manner, such as wearing make-up or provocative clothing.
• Encumbering children with advertisements for products that children would not be able to afford or use or may make them feel inferior for not purchasing it.

Alot of advertisements use images of children using their products, that encourages children to want them. Charities and companies also sometimes use images of physically or mentally abused children in order to provoke emotion.
Some television channels are allowed to show more adult material between 9am and 3pm as its believed children should be at school and wont be viewing.

Some statistics about children and advertising:

•81% of three to six year olds remember having seen the Coca Cola logo
and 69% remember the McDonald’s yellow M

•By the age of five or six, most children are aware of the rudiments of
advertising

•By the age of eight, children are aware of the promotional and
persuasive role of advertising.