Offensive

Although they only account for a small part of the ASA’s work, complaints about taste and decency are often the most high profile.

Upheld decisions can result in widespread adverse publicity for the company concerned and marketers can be required to have posters pre-vetted by CAP’s Copy Advice team for two years if they publish an offensive poster.

The rules state ads must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence, and specifies that special care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability and age.

When making a decision on whether an ad is likely to cause widespread offence, we take into account: the audience who are likely to see the ad; the context in which the ad appears; the product it’s promoting; and prevailing standards in society. To help judge those standards, from time-to-time, we commission major consumer research to find out what concerns people and where they think the line should be drawn.

+ Read more - Read less

Latest rulings

Hemingways Marketing Services Ltd t/a Cadbury Gifts Direct
- Not upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 11 November 2026
A paid-for Instagram ad for Cadbury Gifts Direct didn’t break the less healthy food rules because the advertiser qualified for the exemption for small and medium-sized enterprises.
Recro Ltd t/a Casumo
- Upheld
- Internet (display)
- 11 November 2026
A paid-for online display ad for a gambling website encouraged socially irresponsible behaviour that could lead to financial harm.
Antipadia Enterprises Ltd t/a Copymind: AI Twin for Therapy
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 04 November 2026
Two paid-for Facebook ads for an AI therapy app made medical claims for an app that wasn’t registered with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and didn’t hold the applicable compliance labels. The ads also discouraged essential treatment for conditions for which medical supervision shoul...
GMB Agency LLC t/a Pulmoria
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad)
- 04 November 2026
A paid-for Facebook post for an online supplement brand made claims that a food supplement could prevent, treat or cure human disease and made unauthorised specific health claims.

View all rulings

Offensive

Although they only account for a small part of the ASA’s work, complaints about taste and decency are often the most high profile.

Latest news

Latest rulings

Help getting it right

Popular advice

Relevant codes