Hannah Knipe

What is the ASA?

The ASA stands for the advertising standards authority. This is the UK’s

independent regulator of advertising across all media.

The ASA apply the Advertising Codes, which are written by the Committees of Advertising Practice.

What is their role and function?

The ASA work includes acting on complaints and proactively checking

the media to take action against misleading, harmful or offensive

advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing.

What are CAP codes?The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) write and maintain

the UK

Advertising Codes, which are administered by the Advertising Standards

Authority. CAP also offer the industry authoritative advice and guidance on

how to create campaigns that comply with the rules.

The UK Advertising Codes lay down rules for advertisers, agencies and

media owners to follow. They include general rules that state advertising

must be responsible, must not mislead, or offend and specific rules that

cover advertising to children and ads for specific sectors like alcohol,

gambling, motoring, health and financial products.

There are three different types of codes.

1. The UK code of Non-Broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing.

2. The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising.3. Relevant legislation and register of Code changes.

An example of an advert that was banned by the ASAVolkswagen – Diesel - Bollocks

This advert was banned because of the swearing. The advert start with a flash back of a child doing things for example painting a picture and she drops water over it and she answers with “bollocks”. She then continues to use the word “bollocks” a number of times it then shows us at the end that the father has put petrol in a diesel car and he answers with “bollocks”. I think the ad is in appropriate because of the language and the fact that the young child is using the inappropriate language, this will be why the advert was banned by the ASA.