ASA Advertising Standards Authority Role and Purpose The

ASA Advertising Standards Authority

Role and Purpose The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK’s independent advertising regulator. The ASA makes sure ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules known as the Advertising Codes as set out by CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice). As states the ASA site, the association's role consists in making sure that all advertisements in the UK are not “misleading, harmful, offensive or irresponsible”. As well as withdrawing trading privileges, they respond to complaints from the public as well as monitoring adverts themselves.

Legal Powers ASA has the power to review websites of some companies in order to see if any complaints are made there. The association is funded by the advertising industry which means they affect the own media they produce. They also co-operate with Ofcom to monitor advertising in television and radio.

Case Study Back in 2015, there was a complaint made to ASA about an advertisement for a Halloween costume called an “Adult Skitzo Costume”. The ASA ruled that this advert lead to negative implications concerning schizophrenia as well as many other mental health conditions. The fact the advert called it a “Skitzo” costume, as well as the costume itself being offensive, lead to them withdrawing the advert.

Controversy Much controversy was caused by The Paddy Power, an advert which showed two teams of blindfolded male footballers in the middle of a match. A cat then runs onto the pitch and it is implied that a player kicks it by the sound of a thud and distressed ‘meow’. The ASA received 1, 313 complaints, most of which stated the advert was encouraging animal cruelty as well as being offensive to blind people.