Advertising Standards Authority

In the UK advertising is controlled by the ASA, they help to make sure that advertising such as;

• Magazine and newspaper advertisements
• Radio and TV commercials
• Television Shopping Channels
• Posters on legitimate poster sites
• Leaflets and brochures
• Cinema commercails
• Direct mail
• Door drops and circulars(advertising posted through a letterbox without your name on it)
• Advertisements on the internet, including banner and display ads and paid for searchs
• Marketing communications on companies' own websites and in other, non-paid-for space under their own control
• Commercial e-mail and SMS text message ads
• Ads on CD ROMs, DVD, video and faxes
• Sales promotions, such as special offers, prize draws and competitions wherever they appear.

Are acceptable in the public eye and are properly within the UK guidance codes for advertising. The codes can be found http://bcap.org.uk/. The ASA are able to employ sanctions against code breaking advertising and also on the companies that output such an advert. The adjudications of some rule breaking can be found http://www.asa.org.uk/ASA-action/Adjudications.aspx . As the ASA deals with all types of advertising it means that it deals with different types of media, the games industry relies heavily on formal adverts and so the ASA is involved deeply with this sector of the industry.


Here are a few facts from the ASA website

• ASA has been controlling non-broadcast ads for nearly 50 years
• ASA 'one stop shop' has been responsible for regulating ads across all media since 2004
• Ads on the interent are subjected to the same rules as ads in other media
• In 2009, ASA dealt with over 28,000 complaints
• 2,379 ads were changed or withdrawn in 2009 as a result of ASA action
• Complaints to ASA account for less than 1% of total ads seen each year
• Each year, many millions of ads, sales promotions and direct mail are put out in the UK and the vast majority can be trusted
• UK advertising codes are some of the strictest in the world
• On average, 97% of ads they see each day are in line with the codes
• It can take just one complaint to change of remove a problematic ad
• 62% of all complaints to the ASA are about misleading claims
• ASA system is cost-free to the tax payer
• In 2009, on average complaints were resolved within 13 working days
• 99% of video game ads complied with the advertising codes

The last fact is interesting as there have been many news stories about violent video games and advertising of them and their effect on the viewer, this clearly shows that though the press will hammer a game for having a violent trailer although it has been approved by the ASA and been deemed safe for the general public


From reading the rules the ASA have, i have copied some of the most important rules that will apply to my main and ancillary tasks:


CPA Codes

1.1 Marketing communications should be legal, decent, honest and truthful. 

1.2 Marketing communications must reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the Code. 

1.3 Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society. 

1.4 Marketers must comply with all general rules and with relevant sector-specific rules. 

3.1 Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so. 
3.2 Obvious exaggerations (“puffery”) and claims that the average consumer who sees the marketing communication is unlikely to take literally are allowed provided they do not materially mislead. 

4.1 Marketing communications must not contain anything that is likely to cause serious or widespread offense. Particular care must be taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. Compliance will be judged on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards

4.2 Marketing communications must not cause fear or distress without justifiable reason; if it can be justified, the fear or distress should not be excessive. Marketers must not use a shocking claim or image merely to attract attention. 

4.3 References to anyone who is dead must be handled with particular care to avoid causing offence or distress. 

4.4 Marketing communications must contain nothing that is likely to condone or encourage violence or anti-social behavior. 

BCAP codes

1.1 Advertisements must reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the Code.
1.2 Advertisements must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to the audience and to society.
1.3 Advertisements must comply with the law and broadcasters must make that a condition of acceptance.
1.3.1 Advertisements must not state or imply that a product can legally be sold if it cannot.
2.1 Advertisements must be obviously distinguishable from editorial content, especially if they use a situation, performance or style reminiscent of editorial content, to prevent the audience being confused between the two. The audience should quickly recognise the message as an advertisement.
2.2 If used in an advertisement, an expression or sound effect associated with news bulletins or public service announcements (for example, “news flash”) needs special care. The audience should quickly recognise the message as an advertisement.

2.3 The use of a title, logo, set or music associated with a programme that is broadcast onthat medium needs special care. The audience should quickly recognise the message as an advertisement.
2.4 Television only – Television advertisements, except for programme promotions,must not:
2.4.1 refer to themselves in a way that might lead viewers to believe they are watching a programme
2.4.2 feature, visually or orally, anyone who currently and regularly presents news or current affairs on television
2.4.3 include extracts from broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings.




The way that i will make sure that my products fit in with the asa guidelines is to check each product i have and run it against this list, if i have too many points that conflict with the guidelines i will redesign the product to fit in as much as possible with the guidelines whilst still meeting the requirements of my own
 

(source from : http://bcap.org.uk/The-Codes/CAP-Code/CAP-Code-pdf-versions.aspx and http://bcap.org.uk/The-Codes/BCAP-Code/BCAP-Code-pdf-versions.aspx )