ASA - ADVERTISING STANDARDS AGENCY

ADVERTISING STANDARDS AGENCY

This is a self - regulatory organisation however, they cannot interpret or enforce legislation (meaning they do not set out there own laws.) The ASA is not funded by the British government but by a tax that all advertising companies pay.

Its role is to "regulate the content of advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing in the UK"by investigating "complaints made about ads, sales promotions or direct marketing", and deciding whether such advertising complies with its advertising standards codes. They also make sure that "no marketing communication should mislead, or be likely to mislead, by inaccuracy, ambiguity, exaggeration, omission or otherwise".

We also looked at a specific case which was the advertisement by an organisation called 'PETA' (People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals) which compared Stephen Barker who was responsible for torturing Baby P to death to people who mistreat animals and rapists. This advertisement was placed in Haringey, North London where Baby P lived and died this is also where Baby P biological father still lives. The ASA received only one complaint from a member of the public and decided to take action by telling the organisation to remove the advertisement, In PETA's defence they stated that Barker "had been known to torture animals as a child, and had been convicted by the courts of the abuse of Baby P and the rape of another child".