The ASA's "Rubbish" ad

28 October 2005

The Advertising Standards Authority has launched its own advertising campaign, raising awareness that it is “keeping advertising standards high”.

Nearly a year since it took on the additional role of regulating broadcast advertising, the ads remind the public that the ASA is a one-stop shop for all their complaints about harmful, misleading or offensive advertising.

However, as the campaign clearly demonstrates, the ASA’s role is not to stimulate creativity in advertising; it is to ensure ads adhere to the advertising rules.

The ASA’s TV debut starts with the screeching of a sports car, set on an obviously fake backdrop, driven by actor Matthew Bearne. As Bearne walks through a dilapidated production set, an amateur film crew scrabbles around him, getting in his way.

He explains that although there is no stunning location, A-list celebrity or jokes in this ad, it is within the advertising rules and as such can be classified as a good ad. “Even if it is a bit rubbish,” he concludes at the end.

“Our message is clear,” says ASA director general Christopher Graham. “We’ll leave the good, creative advertising to the professionals and stick to our role – ensuring that the ads that do appear aren’t harmful, misleading or offensive.”

In addition to TV advertising, the campaign is also running on radio, posters and in magazines and newspapers. The campaign was created by Columns Design and director Michael Keillor of Iodine. All ad space and air time has been kindly donated by broadcasters and publishers.

While the ASA knows this ad will not be picking up any gongs in the Cannes advertising awards, it hopes it will boost public understanding of what it does and why. The 33% jump in the number of complaints received this year compared with 2004, suggests that increasingly consumers know where to lodge complaints about advertising.

Visit the ASA Ad Campaign microsite