Keeping problem ads out of the public eye

17 August 2006

Ad Alerts are a key sanction in the self-regulatory system for non-broadcast advertising.  They warn the industry, including media ad departments, of ads, sales promotions and direct marketing campaigns that break the rules.  They ask media owners to consult the CAP Copy Advice team if they are offered an ad that looks a problem.

Ad Alerts: where they come from and where they go to

Ad Alerts are written by the CAP Executive and, as well as going to relevant CAP media members, they’re sent to Ad directors and managers at national newspapers and some magazines. We’ll also send them directly to anyone else who needs to see them. They are kept in the Members section of the CAP website so that CAP media members can easily search to see if a company’s marketing communications are subject to an Ad Alert.  If you are a CAP media member who needs to see Ad Alerts and need reminding of your user name and password to the members’ section of the CAP website, please e-mail Emily Penson-Clark of the CAP Executive at emilyc@cap.org.uk.  If you’re not a member of a CAP trade association and you are confronted with an ad you think is a problem, you can consult the Copy Advice team, who will advise you whether to run the ad.  You can contact Copy Advice by phone on 020 7492 2100, by fax on 020 7404 3404 or by e-mail at copyadvice@cap.org.uk.

When does CAP send out Ad Alerts?

CAP may issue an Ad Alert to warn media owners of an advertiser who refuses to adhere to an ASA ruling and keeps trying to place an ad or ads that do not comply with the Code.

An Ad Alert may be sent to advise recipients of important information about the marketing communications of more than one company.  An Ad Alert was sent, for example, to warn media not to run ads placed by various companies selling Botox; another was sent to warn them not to run ads for flight prices that do not include non-optional taxes and duties imposed on all buyers.  Such general Ad Alerts can be found in the AdviceOnline section of the CAP site as well as in the Members section.

An Ad Alert may also be issued if an advertiser does not respond to the ASA during an investigation into a complaint about its ad or if it does not cooperate with the ASA and CAP Compliance team. 

The European Advertising Standards Alliance also issues Ad Alerts; CAP forwards them to media owners and keeps them in the Members section of the CAP website. If it becomes aware before a problem ad is published that it is obviously a breach of the Code, CAP will send out a pre-emptive Ad Alert.

What’s in an Ad Alert?

Each Ad Alert contains:

• a description of the company, marketing communication or problem (including name, address and other contact details)
• a recommendation to consult the CAP Copy Advice team
• a copy of the marketing communication, if one is available.

Worried about an ad?  Get peace of mind from CAP Copy Advice

If you are a media owner and are faced with an ad that you think might be a problem, you have a responsibility to make sure that it complies with the CAP Code.  The simplest way to do that is to consult the CAP Copy Advice team.  It’s the free, fast and confidential way for you to get practical advice and peace of mind.  Contact the team by phone on 020 7492 2100, by fax on 020 7404 3404 or by e-mail at copyadvice@cap.org.uk.

Why not download and distribute among your ad department colleagues our handy guide to Ad Alerts that includes the Copy Advice team’s contact details?