Advertising Standards Authority

History

London, 1962 - present

Although the ASA began its work in 1962, the story of advertising controls started during the 1920s. Until this time there was little restriction on advertising claims, especially for supposed health-giving products or quack remedies. Gross distortions of fact went unchecked and on all sides of the industry there was a feeling that some action should be taken.

In 1925 the Associated Advertising Clubs (later the Advertising Association) set up the National Vigilance Committee whose services were found to be so necessary that they were taken over in 1928 by the Associationss Advertisement Investigation Department. Despite criticism that it could not be completely objective in its judgements, because it was set up and financed by the same interests as it was supposed to control, it did much to drive out questionable advertising from the press and helped bring about a sense of responsibility within the industry.

Action was also taken by the Newspaper Society, representing the regional and local press, which set up its own Advertisement Investigation Department, and the Newspaper Proprietors Association, representing the nationals, which took actions though its Advertisement Committee. Government legislation also had its effect through the Merchandise Marks Acts of 1926 and 1938 and a new Trade Marks Act of 1938. With WWII the government imposed severe restrictions on advertising in general and as a result the industry found itself to be far more accountable than it had been in the past. Shortage of advertising space during the war also had a beneficial side effect, as publishers could be far for selective. In 1959 an independent Advertising Inquiry Committee was set up by the Labour party to monitor "all kinds of socially harmful advertisement". Two years later an independent commission was set up under the chairmanship of Lord Reith that recommended the establishment of a National Consumer Board financed by a levy on advertising.

In 1961 the Advertising Association Conference unveiled the British Code of Advertising Practice. For the first time a set of formal standards had to be observed and applied from all sides of the business. The Advertising Standards Authority was set up in 1962 as a fully independent body. The first Chairman was Professor Arnold Plant of the London School of Economics and one of its ten members was Vic Feather of the TUC. By 1974, amongst genuine fears that the Labour government would introduce a statutory code and mechanisms to enforce it, the ASA's permanent secretariat was strengthened. A new edition of the Code of Practice was published with a copy being sent to every Citizen's Advice Bureau in the country. Massive advertising campaigns were mounted informing the public of their rights to complain if an advertisement was not 'legal, decent, honest and truthful'. Particular advertising categories that caused concern were monitored and, to cover its costs, a levy on display advertising of 0.1% was collected by the Advertising Standards Board of Finance (ASBOF). The ASA also absorbed the work of the AAss Advertising Investigation Department. In 2004 Parliament permitted Ofcom to delegate regulation of broadcast advertising to the ASA and the Broadcast Advertising Standards Board of Finance (BASBOF), funded by a levy on broadcast advertising, was also set up.

Today the ASA acts to keep a level playing field for all advertisers by maintaining standards so that consumers and business can benefit from healthy competition on fair terms. Under the self-regulatory system, the burden of proof is reversed in favour of the complainants. Advertisers have to be able to prove the claims they make if challenged. Self-regulation is effective because advertisements that break the Code of Practice can be withdrawn without resort to legal bans. Advertisers who flout the rules can be denied access to newspapers, magazines, poster sites, direct mail or the Internet. Since 1988, self-regulation has been backed up by statutory powers under the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations. The ASA can refer advertisers who refuse to co-operate with the self-regulatory system to the Office of Fair Trading for legal action.

The Code of Advertising Practice; CAP

The Committee of Advertising Practice is the industry body responsible for the UK's advertising Codes. CAP interprets ASA rulings to the industry and helps advertisers to comply with the Code through copy advice and help notes.

It comprises CAP Non-Broadcast Committee and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP).

CAP Non-broadcast Committee writes and enforces the British Code of Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing. Its Committee comprises representatives of advertisers, agencies, media owners and other industry groups, all of which are committed to upholding the highest standards in advertising. It covers advertising in print, on posters, in new media and the cinema, sales promotions, the use of personal data for direct marketing and the delivery of mail order goods or refunds.

BCAP Broadcast Committee is contracted by the broadcast regulator, Ofcom, to write and enforce the codes of practice that govern TV and radio advertising. The Committee comprises representatives of broadcasters licensed by Ofcom, advertisers, agencies, direct marketers and interactive marketers. It regulates the content of all TV and radio commercials on channels and stations licensed by Ofcom, advertising on interactive television services, TV shopping channels and Teletext services.

The Advertising Advisory Committee; AAC

The Advertising Advisory Committee (AAC) was established in January 2005 to provide independent, third party advice to the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP). Its role is to ensure that the concerns of viewers and listeners are taken into account whenever the broadcast advertising codes are revised or updated.
While BCAP is made up of representatives of broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies, seven members of the AAC are consumer experts and are independent of the advertising industry. These seven members are appointed following public advertisement and each one brings different skills and expertise to the AAC.

See: T R Nevett, Advertising in Britain (London, 1982)

See: www.asa.org.uk/asa

See: www.cap.org.uk

See: www.asbof.co.uk

See: www.basbof.co.uk

Archive content

Date range: 1925-present

Scope/Formats

HAT Archive holds the Advertising Association's early records of the National Vigilance Committee and its successor, the Advertisement Investigation Department (1925-1961).

The ASA collection includes

ASA Annual reports 1962-present; ASA's own advertising campaigns 1975-1987; ASA Monitoring: logs of complaints (1974-1984), ordinary and special category monitoring (1982-1996) and statistical monitoring (1985-1990); Advertising Inquiry Committee's Scrutiny Newsletter (May 1961-October 1965); ASA Press releases 1980s-2002; ASA promotional material, information and publications; ASA research reports (1983-present); ASA Case Reports (1974-1991); ASA Case Studies (1991-2000) and Summary Reports (2001-2003)..

There are current and several earlier editions of the Code of Advertising Practice as well as some ASBOF and BASBOF papers and publications.

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