Bulletin July 2018  #100

Updated guidelines around gender stereotyping

The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) has updated the Code of Ethics Practice Note to assist advertisers in understanding how the Code applies to gender stereotyping. This will be used by the Ad Standards Community Panel in making determinations around discrimination on the basis of gender.

Contains offensive language. Or does it?!

This month, ads for a cinema, cruises, cancer awareness and motor vehicle safety were dismissed by the Ad Standards Community Panel which determined the ads contained a play on words rather than offensive content.

All reports on cases adjudicated by the Ad Standards Community Panel are published to the Ad Standards website.

New advisory service right on

The new Ad Standards’ Copy Advice Service is available online providing early copy advice to all advertisers from small business to creative agencies.

The advisory service helps advertisers avoid possible breaches of the advertising codes by providing advice on creative development before broadcast or publication.

Music in advertising

Over the last few months Ad Standards has received complaints about five different ads due to background song choice. Advertisers need to be aware of this trend showing increasing community scrutiny of song lyrics. See the Ad Standards blog for details.