The theme of this year’s Mental Health awareness week (11-17 May), is to ‘Take Action’. Every action counts to help drive awareness, build understanding and make mental health a priority, and we understand that companies may also want to do their bit.
So how can advertisers play their part?
Advertisers should make sure their ads are socially responsible, and don’t cause serious or widespread offence or harm, particularly to children or vulnerable adults.
While social media apps are helpful to keep in touch with people, ads shouldn’t encourage children to gain ‘likes and followers’ as a way of progressing through an app, as this may imply that popularity on social media is desirable and something to be pursued.
Advertisers should also remember there are sector specific rules, such as those relating to alcohol or gambling, which apply. For example, the CAP Code states that ads must not imply that drinking alcohol can overcome boredom, loneliness, or other problems, nor should they imply that alcohol has therapeutic qualities. In 2023, the ASA ruled that a paid Facebook ad for an alcohol brand had breached the Code by suggesting the alcohol could help overcome a customer’s problems, and also had therapeutic qualities.
What about raising awareness or offering treatments?
When trying to raise awareness about a particular subject, for example by a charity, advertisers should remember that some consumers may find certain imagery ‘triggering’ and the ad could cause harm or distress. When considering complaints, the ASA will consider different factors such as the context of an ad or its targeting, and the prevailing standards in society.
In 2022, the ASA received complaints about a charity ad that featured footage of individuals who had taken their own lives. The ASA agreed this was likely to be distressing to some viewers – however, they ruled that the overall message was to look beyond the surface to save lives from suicide and seek support, which meant ultimately, any distress caused was justified by the ad’s message.
The decisions taken by the ASA can often be subjective ones, but when it comes to making a treatment claim, advertisers should be aware there are strict rules in place.
In addition to holding robust evidence to substantiate any objective claims, advertisers should not claim to treat or diagnose consumers if the treatment is not supervised by a suitably qualified medical professional. Many advertisers, including those here and here, have been found to break the ad rules when referring to their services and medical conditions, such as depression, PTSD, OCD or anxiety.
Remember, all references to mental health should be treated with care. The closer a reference is to a specific mental health condition, the more likely it is that it will be understood as a comment on that condition, and therefore a higher risk in terms of causing harm or serious offence. So do take action - but do so with care.
If you would like help and guidance on how to make sure your ads comply with the Codes, our Copy Advice team is on hand to provide bespoke advice.
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