23 September 2011
Advertising Association response to BIS consultation on institutional changes for provision of consumer information, advice, education, advocacy and enforcement
The Advertising Association argues that any replacement for the OFT needs to be sufficiently resourced and have a strong enough brand identity to act as an effective legal back-stop to the advertising self-regulatory system. The paper outlines the role of the ASA, and its current relationship with the OFT, highlighting how integral it is that any new enforcement body recognises the role of the ASA, its position as the 'established means' for advertising regulation, and does not unnecessarily duplicate any of the ASA's work.
Read the full paper here.
21 September 2010
Advertising Association Response to OFCOM: Broadcasting Code Review: Commercial References in Television Programming
In this paper the Advertising Association sets out its view on how product placement should work on Television.
Read the paper...
12 March 2010
Response to the Office of Fair Trading consultation on its draft compliance guidance for second hand car dealers
The Advertising Association calls on the OFT to include references within the eventual version of the guidance to the non-broadcast and broadcast advertising codes upon which the Advertising Standards Authority adjudicates, given the existing references in the document to advertising and the fact that CAP and BCAP rules reflect those provisions of the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) of relevance to advertising.
The OFT guidance has been drawn up precisely to assist second hand car dealers to comply with the CPRs, so abiding by the CAP and BCAP Codes should help them to do so. A number of more minor comments are provided to the OFT with the objective of rendering the eventual version of the guidance clearer still.
Read the paper...
12 January 2010
Advertising Association Response to DCMS Product Placement consultation
Responding to the DCMS consultation on whether to permit product placement on television, the Advertising Association said that there are different industry viewpoints, but that, in a difficult economic climate, it supports any de-regulatory measures that could open up new revenue streams for broadcasters that could help bolster investment in original UK programme production. Product placement should not become a tool for circumventing the advertising rules, but rules made for “fenced off” advertisements are not always applicable and product placement needs to be regulated by Ofcom within the context of editorial issues.
Read the paper...
12 March 2009
Response of the Advertising Association to the Office of Fair Trading consultation on compliance partners and ‘established means’ (12/03/09)
The key argument advanced in this response is that if the OFT bestows ‘established means’ status on bodies other than the Advertising Standards Authority and PhonepayPlus, it should seek to minimise the risk of this important and proven alternative to direct statutory regulation being devalued as consequence of any expansion in its use.
Read the paper...
13 February 2009
Response of the Advertising Association to BERR consultation on the EU Draft Directive on Consumer Rights (13/02/09)
The Advertising Association supports the bringing together of consumer contract law across Europe to give traders and consumers greater certainty and increased confidence, so facilitating trading of goods across borders. But this must not result in unnecessary administrative burdens, particularly for small businesses.
Read the paper...
12 February 2009
Response of the Advertising Association to the Better Regulation Executive’s consultative exercise “Extending the scope of application of the Regulators’ Compliance Code and the Principles of Good Regulation” (12/02/09)
Sets out the support of the Advertising Association on proposals to extend the application of the Regulators’ Compliance Code and the principles of better regulation to those reserved functions that are exercised by the devolved administrations in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on the basis that this will improve regulatory consistency in areas of advertising regulation enforced directly by local trading standards authorities. The Advertising Association also highlights that the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the Vehicle Certification Agency and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate should all be cited in the Statutory Instrument that requires named statutory regulators to abide by better regulation principles.
Read the paper...