Bulletin

September 2020 #124

Updated Code of Ethics launched

This month, the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) launched its updated Code of Ethics and Practice Note which is effective from 1 February 2021.

The updates give clearer guidance to advertisers, ensuring more explicit obligations are in place including restrictions on undue focus on body parts (unless relevant to the product or service being advertised), the use of overtly sexualised imagery, graphic violence or horror where children are likely to see it, and gender stereotyping. The rules about social media influencers’ paid posts will also be more explicit.

More information is on the AANA website.

Ensuring your ad is a treat & not a trick

Creepin’ your advertising real this Halloween is one thing, but creative that doesn’t meet community standards on violence will land you in a cauldron of hot water. Violent or menacing themes, images or audio with elements of horror or gore must be justifiable and in the context of the product or service being advertised.

And if it all just drives you batty you can send your ad to Ad Standards for expert copy advice at any stage of production, including pre-production.

The importance of being relevant

Complaints about a television ad for an insurance brand which raised concerns about the use of ‘disturbing and upsetting’ bushfire footage have been upheld by the Ad Standards Community Panel for breaching Section 2.3 of the AANA Code of Ethics.

The Panel found that the menacing footage was not justified in the context of promoting the brand, reinforcing the importance of images being relevant to what’s being advertised.

The curious case of the empowered shopper

A man dressed as a woman in a television ad to sell cars has raised concerns about sexist and offensive content under Section 2.1 of the AANA Code of Ethics. The complaints were considered by the Community Panel which dismissed the case, finding there was no intent to hold anyone up to ridicule.

The Panel considered the female character was shown to be empowered and in control and that the ad did not employ any harmful stereotypes about women having little knowledge of cars.

Sometimes it pays to be funny

Complaints about two TV ads from the one advertiser which raised concerns about the negative portrayal of men were dismissed by the Community Panel.

The Panel considered the two scenarios of a male passenger spilling coffee on himself and yelping from fright after being abruptly woken were light-hearted and humorous, did not ridicule or humiliate the men, and were not in breach of the Code.

Complaints about an ad on YouTube for comfy undies for turtlenecks and crewnecks were also dismissed by the Panel which noted that the use of light-hearted innuendo would not be inappropriate for a mostly adult audience.

For the latest determinations from the Ad Standards Community Panel go to AdStandards.com.au/cases