The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has refreshed its guidance on targeting age-restricted ads in online media.  

The guidance is designed to help marketers, agencies and media owners make sure ads for products such as alcohol, gambling, cosmetic interventions and food and soft drinks high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) are targeted responsibly and away from under-18s, in line with the CAP Code.  

The new edition has been made easier to use. It now opens with a two-page summary of the fundamentals of responsible targeting, alongside a contents page to help readers quickly find the information they need. The text has been streamlined to cut down on repetition — for example, explanations of the “25% rule” are now set out clearly once and referred back to throughout.  

CAP has also added material reflecting recent findings on how age-restricted ads can appear in unsuitable places online, helping marketers understand what to look out for in the supply chain. Other updates include clearer references to influencers and content creators, and corrections to outdated or inconsistent terminology.  

This refreshed guidance remains an essential resource for anyone running online campaigns for age-restricted products — check out the updated version.