Professional Codes of Practise: ASA

ASA stands for the Advertising Standards Authority.
The ASA regulates adverts from the TV, internet, sales promotions and direct marketing; they are a mixture of self-regulating for non-broadcasting adverts and co-regulating for broadcasting adverts.
The rules of the ASA are not written by the ASA themselves, they are written by the Committee of Advertising Practise (CAP) for non-broadcasting adverts (cinema, press, posters and online). And for TV and radio adverts the rules are written by the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practise (BCAP).The adverts that they cover include magazine and newspaper, radio and TV, shopping channels, posters, cinema, direct mail, circulars, internet, SMS text messages, CD Roms, DVD and videos, also special offers, prize draws and competitions.
There are specific rules for each that make up the codes of advertising; there are rules for alcoholic drinks in adverts, health and beauty claims, gambling, children, medicines etc.
ASA are mainly a complaints system and work on the complaints that they receive, but they do not just sit around and wait for complaints to come in, they also work alongside CAP and BCAP to deliver a regulatory approach.
The codes of advertising include not being misleading (withholding information and hold on to proof of claims). They must also not offend, where special attention needs to be taken when dealing with sex, race, religion, sexuality and disability. This usually depends on where the advert appears, the target audience, the actual product and what is acceptable at the time of release. Adverts also need to be shown at certain times so as not to break conduct; they cannot show an alcohol advert at 6am when children are likely to be watching.