The wait is finally over… Hot on the heels of yesterday’s launch of product placement onto UK television, today marks another dawn of a new age in UK advertising. As of today, Tuesday 1st March 2011, the regulatory remit of the ASA is extended to cover online non-paid for space and pages under the control
A Mashup made in Social Media Heaven
If you can’t beat them, join them. News this week that Facebook and Myspace, two of the biggest rivals in the social media arena, are to form a rather unlikely alliance. Myspace has dubbed the move its “Mashup with Facebook”. The partnership will allow Myspace users to create a “personalised stream of entertainment content” by
Events Autumn 2010
ReACTS are hosting or supporting the following events:
11 August 2010- Reed Smith Digital Music Seminar Series – Major Labels
8 September 2010 – Reed Smith Digital Music Seminar Series – Independent Labels and Aggregators
28th September 2010 – IBC – Protecting the Media
5th October 2010 – IBA Annual Conference – GPS Location based
Saucy Ice Cream Ads Once Again Frozen by the ASA
In the same week that the Pope visited the UK, the ASA banned an ad it deemed could be offensive to some Roman Catholics. The ad, for Antonio Federici ice-cream, which ran in Grazia and The Lady magazines earlier this year, featured an obviously pregnant nun eating Antonio Federici ice-cream alongside the words “Immaculately conceived”.
STV: off scot-free? Ofcom investigates programme sponsorship by Scottish Govt
Ofcom recently investigated 57 programmes broadcast on STV in 2008 and 2009, all of which were sponsored either by the Scottish Government or its agencies. This followed allegations in the press that the Scottish Government had influenced the content of STV’s programming.
39 of the programmes in question (including the 12 Homecoming programmes, about which
DMA’s new industry code requires Parental Consent
Companies directly marketing to customers must not use the Internet to gather data about children. That’s according to a new code of practice published by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), which says companies must seek parental consent for children under 12 years old, The Register reports. The code must be adhered to by members of
Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice: Advertising to Children
The new coalition government has stated that one of its priorities is the protection of children from excessive commercialisation. This policy aim reflects a general perception in the UK among the governing and chattering classes that advertising is at the root of both this problem and the problem of obesity among children. Eyes are therefore
EU Demands Opt In for Online Behavioural Advertising
It is not good news for advertisers, search engines, digital agencies and affiliates. The European Data privacy regulators have published an Opinion (22nd June 2010) which states that behavioural advertising, which drives more than 23 billion dollar revenues on the Internet , must change its approach to collecting data on web users and cease delivering advertising to children.
What is clear is that Regulators and Politicians across Europe and internationally are aware of the growing public concern about online data privacy, whether justified or not. Authors of the Opinion state that what is at stake is that many consumers are not aware that their surfing behavior is being monitored and data are being stored for advertising purposes.
The EC press release states that although online behavioural advertising may bring advantages to online business and users alike, its implications for personal data protection and privacy are significant.
In a strong rebuttal, Europe’s media and advertising industry united to reject the Opinion, which the Word Federation of Advertisers, the IAB and EACA and others claim is out of step with the relationships that businesses and consumers are building online and flies in the face of the reality of the Internet. The authors of the Opinion say that while they do not question the economic benefits that behavioural advertising may bring for stakeholders’, such practice must not be carried out at the expense of individuals’ rights to privacy and data protection.
The 22 June Opinion also recommends a total ban on behavioural advertising directed at children.
“This opinion takes no account of the support we get from our consumers for interest-based advertising nor of the exchange in value they receive between effective advertising and access to high quality media content for free.” said Stephan Loerke, Managing Director, World Federation of Advertisers (WFA).
Why does this Opinion matter? It could of course impact on how national governments interpret the ePrivacy Directive and implement national law making opt in a requirement. In practical terms, in the worse case scenario for marketers and consumers, such a requirement would mean that Internet users would have to confirm every single cookie placed on their PCs!Continue Reading EU Demands Opt In for Online Behavioural Advertising
Happy Days? Making Health Claims in Advertisements
Several ASA adjudications in recent months have highlighted the difficulties for advertisers in making any health claims about their products. The ASA have come down hard on those that fall foul of the CAP and BCAP Codes which require that, in relation specifically to health claims, advertisers must have evidentiary substantiation of any health claims made in advertisements, by way of documented scientific trials or otherwise. See our Ad Guide to Making Health Claims in Advertising for more detail.
The adjudications demonstrate that, despite the potential profitability in making health claims about their products, it is most probably not worth doing so if advertisers are unable to substantiate such claims when questioned.Continue Reading Happy Days? Making Health Claims in Advertisements
Sorry Starbucks, the ASA agrees with Costa
In the battle of the coffee chains, Costa has edged one step ahead of its biggest rival, Starbucks. The ASA has dismissed complaints from Starbucks over a series of press and outdoor ads run by Costa stating that coffee lovers preferred Costa to Starbucks. The ads, featuring body copy such as “Sorry Starbucks: the people