AS1-Task Five:Regulation

Adverts need to be regulated and the adverts are regulated through two main bodies before publishing it for the public to view. Those two main bodies are the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Office Commissioners (Ofcom).

Even though ASA have been around for fifty three years and this whole time the aim for them has been to observe any type of media as legal, decent and respectful. However, if the advert does not pass the criteria then it will have to be altered to be appropriate to show, yet if the ad has not been improved the ad will have to be removed completely. The sorts of media that are covered are magazines, newspapers, radio, TV, television shopping channels, posters, cinema, direct mail, internet, leaflets, brochures, commercial email, mobile messages, CD rom, DVDs, Videos, faxes and sale promotions. Despite the above medias being covered the ones which is not covered is sponsorship, packaging, shop windows, telephone calls, fly-posting, private classified adverts, statutory/public notices, press releases, political adverts or online editorial. As the medias which get covered are likely to make mistakes with their ads this implies that they will have to ensure their advertisement is meeting codes set. The codes that need to be followed involve alcohol, gambling, food and soft drinks, health and beauty also smoking. Besides theses codes there are other codes which are to do with environmental claims, racism, children, scheduling ads to be shown at the correct times, displaying at the right place as well as misleading claims of causing offence to anyone. Thus if the codes will not be followed it means that the ASA have to handle certain complaints critically from the audiences. A scenario from 2011 was that the ASA got around 22,397 different ads being complained from ninety four percent of the population about 31,458 times, and from those 22,397 people it was decided that the only 4,591 of the ads would have to be withdrawn or altered. But to get to the decision of which ads should be banned they get judged by using  the codes which are written by the advertising industry. The advertising industry consists of the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), along with the Broadcasting Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).
                                                      

Another point is that Ofcom are approved by the Government in the UK to regulate as well as broadcast adverts on national television. Also Ofcom's aim is to show certain things that can grasp the target audiences attention, due to the interest but at the same time it is to protect the viewer from ads which could be offensive also harmful. The specific region that Ofcom focuses on is the codes, policies, competition, complaints, protecting the radio side from abuse and to license research.
                                                     
An example of a controversial advertisement that ASA have dealt with was the Paddy Power Blind Football. Furthermore, the ad had been objected by around 1,089 and out of the 1,089 there were 220 of the viewers who complained said that the ad should be removed as it is sending across the wrong message. One of the messages which came across to the audience were the fact that it is offensive to blind people and the the rest of the audience being around 1,070 thought that the ad was harmful. It is harmful due to the cruelty to animals, in this case a cat.

A recent ad which has been removed from the air is this ad to do with checking what places would be good to visit. The reason behind the ad being banned by the ASA is because there is a group from different areas, and they are basically on an adventure to get to the top of the cliff. However, the ad is banned due to dangerous activity which can be encouraged if shown at the incorrect time, also the people are skinny dipping which is bad as it would not be appropriate to show to young children.