Lord Borrie Looks Back

10 May 2007

ASA Agenda has been casting a look behind the scenes of the self-regulatory system. For this issue, our focus turns to the Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, Lord Borrie Q.C, overseeing what will be the last issue of Agenda of his Chairmanship. Lord Borrie retires as ASA Chairman on 30 June. Here he looks back at his six years in the role ...



One of Lord Borrie's earliest memories of the ASA is hearing about a heated discussion that took place at an Advertising Association conference in 1975, just before he became Director General of the Office of Fair Trading. While he wasn't actually present, he heard about the then Secretary of State Shirley Williams' lambasting of the ASA, as it existed at that time.
 
"Apparently she thumped her hands down on the table saying that the ASA wasn't strong enough, independent enough or adequately financed. And, back then, she was absolutely right," he says.

However, in 32 years the ASA has changed significantly. None of Williams' criticisms could now be levied against the authority. Indeed, in Lord Borrie's six-year tenure as Chairman, the self-regulatory body has seen tremendous change.

"I joined on the first day of January in 2001 and I didn't expect to stay as long as I have, but so much has happened which has kept the role so interesting," says Lord Borrie, enthusiastically. "In addition to our physical change of address, we also now handle broadcast advertising complaints and have a much bigger, more varied workload as a result."

During his Chairmanship, Lord Borrie has also seen several contentious and emotive issues come to the fore of the public consciousness, such as the advertising of alcohol, food and gambling. All political hot potatoes, Lord Borrie has presided over the ASA's adoption of new rules with regard to the promotion of alcohol, while new rules for food and gambling advertising come into force soon. The lively discussions at ASA Council meetings are a part of the job that Lord Borrie enjoys the most, and where his legal background comes in handy when weighing up and judging two sides of an argument fairly:"In the last few months, alcohol and food advertisements have come under the spotlight because they are so controversial at the moment. These are such hot topics because they arise from a well-publicised view - and one that the advertising industry doesn't accept - that advertising is to blame for the increase in obesity and binge drinking. Ads are only part of the problem but, nonetheless, the industry has to accept that - rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly - it will continue to get a big chunk of the blame. Advertising is so visible, it's easy to blame."

While the public has become more sensitive to food and alcohol advertising, Lord Borrie says that in other areas he has seen tolerance of certain ads, for example those that contain nudity, increase. Similarly, he argues that the public is less easily shocked now than when he joined the ASA. He believes this is because people "have been desensitised by, not just shock advertisements, but shocks from documentaries, films, video games and the news, all of which are outside our remit but which we all come across almost every day".

But, despite the prevalence of violent images in society, Lord Borrie is particularly worried about a growing number of advertisements that might instigate racial tension. As Lord Borrie explains, the cultural climate in the last six years has changed dramatically with an effect on public tolerance levels: "There is certainly more concern about ads that may encourage people to think that certain anti-social or violent behaviour emanates from a particular social or racial group. We do have to watch that."

Hand in hand with racial tension often comes religious sensitivity and the ASA's attitude to advertising carrying religious themes has also had to evolve over recent years. As Lord Borrie looks back on Council meetings, he recalls that members have had "quite a struggle" deciding whether or not to uphold complaints in some of these ads with religious undertones. "We've not upheld them in a lot of cases if they contain Christian imagery, because such images are part of our cultural furniture. Vicar of Dibley style jokes are unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence," he says.

But, although Lord Borrie talks with passion about all these challenges that the ASA faces, they will soon no longer be his challenges to overcome. In June, he will step down and take up a new role as Chair of the Council of the Ombudsman for Estate Agents. He has welcomed his successor as Chairman, Chris Smith, describing him as both fair-minded and effective.

Will he miss the advertising industry? "Yes, very much, I will," he says fondly. "It's a very sociably-minded industry, never short of a good mix of people and interesting discussions. And, of course, it has a reputation for nice lunches, which are particularly enjoyable for foodies like me!"