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The ASA has this week upheld complaints against an RSPCA ad that suggested badgers in cull areas would be "exterminated". The poster showed a picture of a badger, a bullet and a vaccination needle, asking: "Vaccinate or exterminate?" The ad’s text stated "The UK Government wants to shoot England’s badgers. We want to vaccinate them…

Following an upsurge in the number of electric and hybrid vehicles, an increasing competitiveness in the market, and a corresponding increase in the number of complaints regarding the marketing of such vehicles, CAP has released a message of advice for advertisers of electric and hybrid vehicles.

The ASA reported that complaints received related to “the…

Earlier this month the ASA published its half-year report into compliance with the new Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA) rules. By way of background, the rules apply to advertisers that collect and use web viewing behavioural data in order to deliver online ads that are more likely to be of interest to a consumer. The rules

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During the 2012 Christmas season, ASDA and Morrisons ran ads depicting mothers running errands, bustling around kitchens, preparing food, wrapping presents and attending Christmas plays. Complaints were made to the ASA on the basis that they were offensive and sexist because they reinforced outdated stereotypes of men and women in the home.

Morrisons responded to…

Two toothpaste manufacturers have recently felt the bite of the ASA. Purity Laboratories Ltd claimed in a magazine advertisement that its products produced “whiter teeth in 1 minute” and attempted to substantiate this claim on its website by stating that ” a study conducted at Bristol University Dental School proved that Beverly Hills Formula toothpaste…

The Advertising Standard Authority’s remit will shortly cover Online Behavioural Advertising (OBA). The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has extended the CAP Code to cover this increasingly developed form of targeted advertising with a new series of Rules. OBA involves the collaboration of advertising networks and third parties to deliver customised advertising based upon deep…

Advertisers are using social media platforms such as Twitter to reach an unprecedented number of people cheaply and instantaneously. With some celebrities enjoying a following of over a million fans, advertisers have found a new way to maximise the traditional celebrity endorsement model and extend the reach and exposure of their promoted goods and services…