Final countdown to Advertising Codes

CAP and BCAP are giving advertisers a final reminder that new Advertising Codes will come into effect on 1 September. It is crucial that advertisers ensure they know what the rules are to avoid prompting complaints from consumers or competitors and being subject to an ASA investigation.

Following a root and branch review and a full public consultation last year the new Codes were announced in March. The review was designed to ensure the Codes remain effective and relevant for the future.

Advertisers were given a six-month grace period to familiarise themselves with the rules. CAP and the ASA also launched a comprehensive training and awareness programme for anyone involved in commissioning, overseeing or developing marketing communications in order to help them get up to speed with the new Code requirements.

The Codes are up-to-date, easy to use and are designed to be easier to interpret and navigate. Furthermore we have created a single Broadcast Code for TV and radio in place of the existing four.

1 September does not mean that advertisers will be left to sink or swim. Help is always available and we actively encourage advertisers to take advantage of the available resources that CAP provides and the knowledge of our experts. If you haven’t already done so, please watch the webcast of one of our training sessions.

The Copy Advice team is always on hand to give guidance on your proposed non-broadcast campaigns and to review and identify any potential issues that could result in complaints and the subsequent amendment or withdrawal of your advertisement. The team has also been updating its ‘AdviceOnline’ entries to help marketers, agencies and media owners ensure their ads, sales promotions and direct marketing campaigns are in line with the Codes.

Although there are various changes, the Codes have maintained the general principles that ads should be legal, decent, honest and truthful and social responsibility remains at their heart. The rules are designed to provide a high level of consumer protection, maintain a level playing field for advertisers and ultimately promote consumer confidence in the ads they see.

If you are unsure about what the new rules are and what they may mean for your ad campaign, or even if you just want to double check, then get in touch with one of our experts. We will be only too happy to help.


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