The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the independent regulator for advertising across all UK media. It receives around 30,000 complaints each year regarding around 20,000 advertisements. The ASA works to ensure advertising is legal, decent, honest and truthful. It can ban ads if they violate rules such as no nudity, smoking, sexism, homophobia, racism, or intended offense. The UK Advertising Codes establish further rules for specific sectors like alcohol, gambling, employment and health claims that ads must comply with. Advertisers use the Clearcast Advisory Panel for advice and training to avoid having their ads banned by the ASA for violating these standards of legal and socially responsible advertising.

1. KieranJackson
BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMedia:Unit45 Commercial ProductionforRadio
PR4 Task 2: Regulation& its Impact on Content
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The UKs main advertisement company, Our
work includes acting on complaints and proactively checking the media to take action
against misleading, harmful or offensive advertisements. They have the power to ban
adverts if they broke the rules. This company is the most unknown regulatory bodies in the
media industy this is because there is so many different companies put in place to stop any
ethical and issues being broken in the media. They follow some rules which shouldn’t be on
any adverts and TV :
 No nudity
 No smoking on TV
 No sexism
 No homophobic content ( this means comments towards the LGBT)
 No racism
 No intended offensive content
 No should be shown drinking alone
The UKs independentregulatorforadvertisingacrossall media,the workincludesactingon
complaintsandproactivelycheckingthe mediatotake actionagainstmisleading,harmful or
offensive advertisements,eachyearthe ASA receives30,000 complaintstowards20,000
advertisements,The ASA worksunderacontract from Ofcom. Theyregulate andgetthe
rulesfromthe Ofcom.
The UK Advertisingcodesare writtenbytwoindustrycommittee,the committee of
AdvertisingPractice writesthe UKCode of Non-broadcastAdvertising,Salespromotionand
Directmarketingandthe broadcast Committee forAdvertingpractice ( BCAP) writesthe UK
code for broadcastingAdvertising, The systemissignof a considerable commitmentbythe
advertisingindustrytoupholdstandardstheirprofession,Allpartsof the advertising
industryAdvertisers,Agenciesandmediahave come togethertocommitto beinglegal,
decent,honestandtruthful intheirAdvertisements

2. KieranJackson
BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMedia:Unit45 Commercial ProductionforRadio
The UK AdvertisingCodeslaydownrulesfor advertisers,agenciesandmediaownersto
follow.Theyinclude general rulesthatstate advertisingmustbe responsible,mustnot
mislead,oroffendandspecificrulesthatcoveradvertisingtochildrenandadsforspecific
sectorslike alcohol,gambling, motoring,healthandfinancial products.
 Alcohol- social responsiblyfordrinkingalcohol,the rulesof contentandthe drinking
underage 18-year-old.
 Motoring- social responsiblyforthe use andrulesof motorcars and the lawsbehindit
 Employment,homeworkschemesand businessopportunities- Rulesthatrequire clarityof
the nature of employmentandbusinessopportunities,includingdisplayof earningsandany
commitmentsrequiredfromconsumers.
 Compliance- thiscode isrelatingto social responsibly, legality andfairness
 Recognitionof marketingcommunications- thiscode makesmaterial clear.
 Misleadingadvertising- he worduse of Free,needstomeetrequirements.
 Harm and offence- The rulesensure thatadvertisementsdon’t cause anyharmor
widespreadharm.
 Privacy- the codesstate no membersof the publicshouldhave theirprivacytemperedwith
and the royal family.
 Political advertisements- of whenthe Code appliestopolitical advertisements.
 Environmental claims- rulesaboutmakingthe world“green”claimsforproductor
services.
 Medicines,medical devices,health-relatedproductsandbeauty products- codesmean
highservicesforhealthreasonsandhealthproduct.
 Weightcontrol and slimming- Rulesforadsfor weightcontrol,slimmingfoodstuffsand
aids,includingexercise;diets,clinicsandmedicines.

3. KieranJackson
BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMedia:Unit45 Commercial ProductionforRadio
CAPis usedforadvice andtraining,Advertsgoingthroughthistokeeptheirbrandfrombeing
damagedfromgettingcompany’sadvertisementsbeingbannedbyAdvertisingstandardsauthority.
It offeredawide range of advice servicesforpeople. Onthe websiteyoucandownloadtrainingand
advice packs.Theyalsohave rate cards, the pricescan go up to £200 to £400 forcertaintrainingand
events.
Advertisersmakingacompliantaboutanotheradvertiserwill be requiredtoprovideevidence that
theyhave triedandthe competitorisaware totake onthe complaint.Whenmakingacomplaint
there are five mainstepstofollowputinplace bythe ASA forpeople tofollow whentheyneedto
make a compliant.
1. A competitorwhowantto make a formal complaintshouldinformtheirconcernswithan
advertiser,ideallybyregisteredpost,the complaintmustprovide anappropriate degree of
detail inrelationtothe claima mediuminwhichitappeared,togetherwiththe factual basis
for the complaint.
2.
The complaintshould,ordinarily,be signedorauthorisedbyasuitablyauthorisedsenior
officerof the competitorcomplainant(e.g.CEO,Legal,MarketingorRegulatoryDirector),
whotakesresponsibilityforthe accuracy of its content,andshouldbe addressedtoasenior
officerorotherappropriate contactof the advertiser.
3. If the complaintisaboutan on-line marketingcommunication,the competitorwho
complainsshouldobtainascreenshotof the page or pagesthat relate tothe complaintor
otherwise secure acachedcopyof the website.
4. The competitorcomplainantshouldallow five workingdaysfora substantive response.If,
at the endof thisperiod,the advertiserhasnotopenedasubstantive dialogue orthe parties
cannot reachan agreement,the complainant maythensubmitacomplainttous.
5. The last step that people must follow after completing the following a copy of
registered letter listing out the concerns, after sent the ASA would have a response in
the next 24 hours.
An example of acompliment whichwassubmittedontothe ASA websitewastowardsa
fitnessproduct,rulingonBIOEnergiserLtd,the AdvertisementStated“Are mobilityissues
preventingyoufromlivinglifetothe full?Itdoesn’thave tobe that way!Enjoyeffortless
exercise,bettercirculationandgreatermobilitywiththisall-new CirculationLegExerciser”
the advertisementsaiditrelievesthe achesandstrainsinsore legsand feet.The issue which
was raisedwasthat the productfor the legexerciserwere misleadingandcouldbe
substantiated.Anactionwasputinplace from ASA The ad must notappearagain inits

4. KieranJackson
BTEC ExtendedDiplomainCreativeMedia:Unit45 Commercial ProductionforRadio
currentform.We toldBioEnergiserLtd notto make any claimsforLeg exerciser unlessthey
heldadequate documentaryevidencetosubstantiate them.