Case study of existing advertising campaigns researching the role and impact of-Advertising standards authority (ASA) and Ofcom

1- What is the background of the ASA?
Back in 1961 CAP or the committee of advertising practice as a independent adjudicator which ran under and followed the new code. Their main aim was to supervise the new self-regulatory system so that adverts where regulated and kept up to standards where viewers would not get offended of any sort, and to also make sure that the adverts do not breach any guidelines which went against the new code.  

2- What is the role of the ASA in the regulation of advertisement?
ASA is a regulator for all the UK, this covers adverts which run on our TV screens and to the radio. They regulate all advertisement across all media. But then they don't cover everything, although most of the media is by them, these re things such as 

• Magazine and newspaper advertisements 
• Radio and TV commercials (not programmes or programme sponsorship) 
• Television Shopping Channels 
• Advertisements on the Internet, including:
  • banner and display ads
  • paid-for (sponsored) search
  • Marketing on companies’ own websites and in other space they control like social networking sites Twitter and Facebook 
  • Commercial e-mail and SMS text message ads
  • Posters on legitimate poster sites (not fly posters)
  • Leaflets and brochures 
  • Cinema commercials 
  • Advertising within smartphone and tablet apps
  • Direct mail (advertising sent through the post and addressed to you personally) 
  • Door drops and circulars (advertising posted through the letter box without your name on) 
  • Ads on CD ROMs, DVD and video, and faxes
  • Sales promotions, such as special offers, prize draws and competitions wherever they appear.

Their income is generated by the advertisers themselves, this is done by the arm's length agreement. It is also how the ASA are claimed independent as they have no government funding.   

3- What is the legal standing of the ASA and in the relation to Ofcom?

With the ASA managing advertisements such as TV, Radio etc. they make sure that the adverts do not breach any rules so that they are viewer friendly and do not cause any harm to anyone watching the advert. However Ofcom look at the revenue side of things but also make sure that what the viewer is watching, is going to be 100% and their are not any false claims made within the advert. 

4 - What are the procedures of the organisation? 

The ASA are there to make sure that the viewers are happy with what is shown on their Television screens. They allow themselves to reach to the public by letting them contact them via a complaint form. After this they reply back to the complaint giving you information about what will happen to the advert. In most cases not much will, unless there is reoccurring complaints about the advert where then they will take a look at the advert seeing what they can do to get rid of the complaints.  

5 - What are the key parts of the code governing food and soft drink advertising and children and advertising that you think will be important to bare in mind for your advert?

When making my advert I will have to think about the watershed I will be using. This is to make sure that I do not break any regulations and rules. To make sure this does not happen, I will look at the dialogue I will use within the advert to make sure there are no rude terms or inappropriate gestures being made. I will also have to make sure that what i am trying to sell is 100% legit, this is so i do not breach any Ofcom regulations. 

6 - Case Studies 
This 1960's advert could be claimed to be sexist, because it's showing that women need to please their men and in this case you would would have to do that by making him a good coffee. This is off-putting, making women feel as if it's compulsory that they have to please their man, and to fact that it is set in a kitchen makes  it stereotypical. 


















Reebock easy tone advert. 
This is a Reebock sports advert claiming that the shoes help tone a women's legs. We see that throughout the advert they use models who are in shape but also wearing the trainers. this is misleading to viewers as it would make them think that with these shoes it would also help them get in shape just like that. Whereas it has been proved that the shoes do nothing of the sort but only just trainers with the brand name on them.