The ASA has launched its first consumer ad campaign in five years to raise public awareness of its regulatory role to keep advertising legal, decent, honest and truthful. The cross-media campaign (press, outdoor, radio, online, TV and cinema) also informs consumers that the ASA’s remit now covers marketing communications on companies’ own websites.

As with the ASA’s business-to-business campaign in January and February to alert advertisers and website owners to the regulator’s extended online remit, the ads were produced by AMV BBDO. OMD UK coordinated planning and helped secure donated media space and airtime. The ASA is very grateful to both agencies for their expertise and generosity in working on the campaign for the last eight months on a pro bono basis.

The campaign continues to rely entirely on free space and airtime donated by media owners with the ads scheduled to run predominantly during March and April. They will, however, continue to appear periodically, as a filler campaign, including in cinema where the ads are scheduled to run until August.
 
Steve Williams, Chief Executive of OMD and Chairman of the IPA Media Futures Group: “The commitment and support of media owners for this campaign is a testament to why advertising self-regulation in the UK is held as a gold standard.”

Farah Ramzan Golant CBE, Executive Chairman of AMV BBDO says: “Having communicated the landmark extension of the ASA’s remit widely to industry, it is equally important that we inform the public of this significant enhancement for consumer protection online. Not only will this help drive consumer confidence and trust, it is also more likely to work and deliver value to business.”

ASA Director of Communications, Policy and Marketing Esra Erkal-Paler says: “We want the public to know that the ASA ensures marketing communications, wherever they appear, are legal, decent, honest and truthful. We are delighted with the creative and hugely grateful for the invaluable support of AMV BBDO and OMD UK, as well as the generosity of all media owners who’ve donated free space and airtime. Our business awareness campaign during January and February was highly effective in alerting industry to the regulatory changes, as evidenced by the exponential increase in demand for advice. We’re confident this new campaign will reassure consumers about the fact that they can trust the ads they see.”


More on


  • Keep up to date

    Sign up to our rulings, newsletters and emargoed access for Press. Subscribe now.