ASA warns consumers to beware of bogus charity collections (03 December 2007)
The ASA is supporting a Government awareness raising initiative on the issue of bogus charity collections. In partnership with various regulatory bodies, including the Charity Commission and the Office of Fair Trading, the ASA is bringing the problem of bogus charity collections to the public’s attention and helping them to make informed choices when deciding who to give their donations to.
Read full story
ASA launches recruitment drive for new ASA Council Members (19 November 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is looking to recruit two members of the public to serve on the ASA Council – the body responsible for adjudicating on complaints about advertising content.
Read full story
ASA responds to rise in complaints about violence in advertising (19 November 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Chairman, Lord (Chris) Smith hosted a seminar in Nottingham on Wednesday 21 November that focussed on the issue of violent imagery in advertising. The timely event followed a significant increase in complaints to the ASA in this area during the past year.
Read full story
Ofcom and ASA publish research on the impact of alcohol advertising rules (16 November 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority and Ofcom have published a joint report “Young People and Alcohol Advertising”. The report looks at the impact of alcohol advertising on young people following the tightening of the alcohol advertising codes in 2005. For more information click on the link below.
Read full story
Gambling advertisements: ASA ensures the odds are in favour of consumers (31 August 2007)
From 1 September consumers may begin to notice a change in the way gaming and betting services are advertised. For instance, casinos will be able to advertise on TV for the first time. In response to this the Advertising Standards Authority wants the public to be assured that new gambling advertising rules will come into effect at the same time in order to protect consumers.
Read full story
ASA gets tough on advertising green claims (26 June 2007)
Over the last few months the ASA has investigated and upheld seven complaints against advertisers who have made unsubstantiated environmental claims. The ASA is raising consumer awareness of misleading ads, reminding advertisers of the rules and why it is not always easy being green.
Read full story
TV ad sound level consultation launched (25 May 2007)
The Broadcast Commitee of Advertising Practice - BCAP - has launched a technical consultation proposing a change to the present rule on TV ad sound levels.
For background information on the consultation please click here.
To visit the consultation please click here
Read full story
New ASA Council Member Appointed (24 May 2007)
Lord Borrie QC, has made a new appointment to the ASA Council. David Harker, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice will join Council as an independent member from 1 June 2007. He will adjudicate on broadcast complaints.
Read full story
Debt Free Direct refused leave to judicially review ASA ruling (16 May 2007)
An application by Debt Free Direct Ltd for permission to bring a judicial review against the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) was dismissed in the High Court yesterday (Tuesday 15 May). In yesterday’s judgement, Mr Justice Sullivan ruled that it would require the most compelling reasons to prevent a public body such as the ASA from publishing its adjudications, which were in the public interest.
Read full story
New faces on ASA Council (10 May 2007)
There are two new faces on the ASA Council: James Best, who is Chief People and Strategic Officer at the ad agency DDB Worldwide and Sally Cartwright OBE, Director at Large at Hello Ltd, publishers of Hello, the celebrity news magazine.
Read full story
Online Complaints rise by 33% - The ASA Annual Report 2006 (10 May 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Annual Report for 2006, published today, has revealed that 2,421 ads were changed or withdrawn as a result of ASA action during the year. Although the total number of complaints lodged with the ASA fell by 14.5% (to 22,429) on the previous year, a record number of ads were complained about - 12,842. And, mirroring the growing importance of the Internet in UK advertising, the number of complaints about advertising in this medium rose by 33%.
Click here to open our Annual Report microsite
Read full story
Lord Borrie Looks Back (10 May 2007)
ASA Agenda has been casting a look behind the scenes of the self-regulatory system. For this issue, our focus turns to the Chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, Lord Borrie Q.C, overseeing what will be the last issue of Agenda of his Chairmanship. Lord Borrie retires as ASA Chairman on 30 June. Here he looks back at his six years in the role ...
Read full story
The Top Ten Most Complained About ads of 2006 (10 May 2007)
The ASA today reveals the ten most complained about advertisements for 2006 with publication of its Annual Report. Religious offence, violent imagery and same-sex kisses dominate the listing of the top ten most complained about ads of the year.
Read full story
Junking food ads? (10 May 2007)
Much has been made in the press recently about the fact that the nation is getting fatter. It has been suggested that advertising has played its part in contributing to this and, as a result, new rules on the advertising of food and drink products to children have been introduced. These will fundamentally change advertising activity in this area. Most of the new rules come into effect on 1 July. What changes should you expect to see?
Read full story
New food rules for non-broadcast ads (11 April 2007)
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), the body responsible for writing the UK non-broadcast advertising code, has announced new rules for food and soft drink product advertisements to children. The new rules, designed to help protect children’s health, recognise and respond to public concern about rising levels of childhood obesity. The rules will come into force on 1 July 2007.
Read full story
New gambling advertising rules announced (13 March 2007)
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) have announced rigorous and robust new rules for gambling advertisements. The rules are designed to ensure that all gambling advertisements are socially responsible with a particular regard for the need to protect children and vulnerable members of society. The new rules will come into force in September 2007.
Read full story
New appointments to ASA Council (07 March 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) Chairman, Lord Borrie QC, has appointed two new Industry members to serve on the ASA Council – the body that adjudicates on advertising complaints. James Best, Chief People and Strategic Officer, DDB Worldwide and Sally Cartwright OBE, Director at Large, Hello Ltd, will start work in April.
Read full story
Students show they are savvy about self-regulation (05 March 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is delighted to announce the winners of its Student Award Scheme 2007. The standard of work submitted to the ASA, especially in the under 18 category, was extremely high with many showing original thought and creativity. The overall winner was Firaaz Faiz from Stockport Grammar School.
Read full story
The Advertising Standards Authority is coming to Scotland (01 March 2007)
Get the inside story on how the ASA works. On the 14 March the Advertising Standards Authority will be visiting Glasgow and Edinburgh to host seminars for the advertising industry in Scotland.
Read full story
New food advertising rules (26 February 2007)
New rules have been announced that change the way in which food products can be advertised on TV. The rules have been tightened in response to Government and public concern about the increase in childhood obesity and the future health of the nation.
Read full story
Scam aware (16 February 2007)
February is the month when the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) runs its scams awareness campaign, part of an international initiative to make consumers savvy to the thousands of fraudulent and misleading scams that are targeted at them. The ASA fully supports this initiative. We receive hundreds of complaints a year from consumers about advertising scams and we welcome any moves that will help consumers to protect themselves from being duped.
Read full story
The Informer (16 February 2007)
Our series of articles looking behind the scenes of the self-regulatory system turns its attention to how research is used to inform and aid us in our work. Sally Hubbard writes
Read full story
Food for thought (16 February 2007)
New rules for the advertising of food and drink to children on TV have been announced by Ofcom. BCAP will be holding a free session to explain the new rules for advertisers in this sector on Wednesday 28 February in London. Click here to view the webcast of this seminar
Read full story
Green is the new black (16 February 2007)
As concern across the globe about the causes and effects of climate change increases, attention has turned to how we can all help to reduce the amount of harm that we individually cause.
Read full story
WANTED: New members for the ASA Council (16 February 2007)
The ASA is seeking three new independent members to join its decision-making body – the ASA Council. The ASA Council has ultimate responsibility for deciding whether or not ads comply with the advertising codes.
Read full story
ASA backs scams awareness month (09 February 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority is supporting the Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT) scams awareness month as part of an international drive by consumer protection bodies to stamp out scams. The ASA deals with hundreds of complaints about advertising scams every year. Mass-marketing scams are fraudulent, misleading and pernicious and often target the most vulnerable people in society. By raising consumer awareness and working closely with the OFT we can educate the public on how to avoid falling for them and to ultimately help stamp out scams.
Read full story
ASA seeks new Council members (29 January 2007)
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is seeking to recruit three new independent members of its governing Council. The new members, who will be appointed by ASA Chairman Lord Borrie QC in consultation with Chairman-designate Lord Smith of Finsbury, will adjudicate on complaints about breaches of the advertising codes and oversee the work of the ASA Executive.
Read full story
Self-regulation in the digital age (25 January 2007)
Time is running out to develop a system of self-regulation for the digital age according to the Advertising Standards Authority's (ASA) Director General Christopher Graham. Delivering the keynote speech at the Westminster e-forum on Regulation in the Future, Mr Graham warned that it would be a challenging task requiring agreement between advertisers, their agencies and both old and new media.
Read full story