Many TV viewers have been beguiled in recent weeks by the riveting new drama series, Mad Men. But the world of advertising that it portrays – through a haze of cigarette smoke and cocktails – belongs to a very different era from the one we know today. I would argue that British advertising now is every bit as creative as Madison Avenue was in the 1960s – indeed, probably more so – but is also far more responsible. And I like to think that the solid work of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) over the years has helped this to happen. The advertising industry showed great foresight in setting up the self-regulatory system 45 years ago, and has funded, supported, and respected that system ever since.
The ASA hasn’t been a pushover, though. As this Report indicates, this has been our busiest year ever. More ads than ever have been withdrawn or changed as a result of ASA action. CAP’s Copy Advice service has been used intensively. And in some of the most sensitive areas of public concern, such as the advertising of food products to children, or of alcohol to young people, our detailed research work shows that levels of compliance with the new rules that are now in force are very high indeed. We will continue to give a high priority in our work to ensuring that on these sensitive issues the advertising codes are being rigorously adhered to.
In recent months we have also re-focused our public consultation work, to engage with the community beyond the world of advertising in specific areas of growing public concern. In November 2007 we held a seminar in Nottingham, looking at the portrayal of violence in ads, the use of guns and knives, and the way in which public attitudes are changing. In the light of the valuable discussions we had at that event, we have taken a particularly careful look at a number of especially violent ads subsequently. And in June we are holding a further consultation, this time on the validity of environmental claims in advertising, which is again a subject of developing public interest and concern.
As we show in this Report, the number of complaints we receive about advertising on the internet continues to grow strongly (click here for our complaint statistics). Some of these – where banner or pop-up ads, e-mails or virals are concerned – are within our remit, but the overwhelming proportion of complaints are ones we currently cannot address, because they relate to advertising claims on companies’ own websites, and as such fall outside our remit. Interestingly, these complaints are almost entirely about truth, accuracy, misleadingness, and availability – the “meat and drink” of the ASA’s daily work on print and broadcast ads. We hope for an early outcome to the detailed discussions under way within the industry, led by the Advertising Association, on the development of ways to ensure continued responsibility in advertising in new media settings.
This has of course been my first year as Chairman of the ASA, and it has been a fascinating and enjoyable experience. I couldn’t have wished for a better inheritance than that I received from my predecessor, Gordon Borrie. Gordon led the Authority with skill and wisdom for over six years, and left me with a Council of astute and engaged members, a dedicated staff, and procedures that work well. I owe a debt of gratitude to all at the ASA for the welcome they have given me. And we all owe a particular “thank you” to three of our Council members who retired last year, Chitra Bharucha, Mike Ironside and Dan O’Donoghue. Their contribution over the years has been of huge value. As their successors learn the ropes the work of the ASA goes on; and we will endeavour to continue to be fair, perceptive and efficient in our task of helping to keep advertising standards high.
