The ASA recently investigated and upheld complaints about Carphone Warehouse’s multi-media ad campaign for its TalkTalk telephone package that offered “free broadband forever”. So, if advertisers are allowed to use the word “free”, how did Carphone Warehouse mislead consumers and what are the ramifications of the ruling for advertisers?  Click here to find out.

Another advertiser has come a cropper with the ASA by using swearing in an ad. “Where the bloody hell” (a quote) do you stand on that? Click here to find out more about the ASA decision and what you can learn from it.

In a recent ruling, the ASA decided that unclear information on a company’s website made ads driving consumers to that site misleading. The ASA’s remit doesn’t cover the claims on companies’ websites so click here to find out how the ASA reached its decision.

Last year, TV ads for the Make Poverty History campaign were pulled because they were deemed political. This year, the ASA decided that a press ad that implied Iran’s nuclear missiles could threaten the safety of people from Mongolia to the UK was not scaremongering. Just what is allowed in ads that touch on political sensitivities?  Click here to find out.

Since our childhood, we’ve heard that certain foods are good for us: fish was always known as “brain food”, spinach made us grow up as strong as Popeye and … well, we all remember why beans were deemed to be good for the heart. But, in these health-conscious days, health claims for foods are more than playground lore: they make big money for big firms. And now marketers need to be aware that two recent ASA adjudications have underlined once and for all just how relevant and definitive the evidence to support such claims has to be.  Click here to read more.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) have recently launched a public consultation on proposed new rules to regulate non-broadcast and broadcast advertisements for gambling, including the UK National Lottery and spread betting. The proposals are designed to ensure that gambling advertisements are responsible and regulation is robust.  Click here to read more.

That is the basic principle the ASA applies to price claims in ads: prices should include mandatory charges. In the past, not everybody has agreed with or followed that line. Towards the end of July, the European Commission published proposals to improve transparency in flight pricing; they embody that same principle. Prices, whether stated in ads covered by the CAP or BCAP Codes or on websites, should be fair and transparent and include all charges.  Click here to read more.

In the past, the ASA has sometimes imposed a more stringent test on whether high claimed previous prices were realistic or misleading than had those responsible for deciding the legality of discounted price claims. The OFT has recently issued guidance that brings the legal and self-regulatory frameworks into line. The guidance applies to non-broadcast ads only; the ASA, of course administers both the CAP Code and the BCAP Codes. Click here to read more.

CAP’s ‘Ask an Adviser’ prize draw promotion to raise awareness of the free-of-charge Copy Advice service ended on 20 July. The draw was made by Chris Harley-Martin, VP Marketing and Innovation for GSK Nutritional Healthcare.  Click here to read more.

The role of the media owner as gatekeeper is vital in ensuring that ads that breach the CAP Code do not get published; it’s the media’s primary contribution to the ‘self’ in self-regulation. CAP helps media owners by issuing Ad Alerts to warn them about ads that break the rules. Click here to find out how Ad Alerts work.

The General Media Panel, the panel of industry experts that guides the Executive on Code interpretation, is being expanded to give advice on broadcast advertising matters as well as non-broadcast. Find out about the role and remit of this important aspect of the self-regulatory system and the new changes to its structure.  Click here to read more.

Since the last issue of Update@CAP, CAP has held an Advice:am seminar on the rules for motoring ads and another on the rules for direct marketing. CAP has other events planned this year: a half day event for ad professionals in the Bristol area, agency graduate training and a repeat of the DM seminar.  Click here for details.