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All in the Worst Possible Taste?
Adverts. They’re everywhere. 30 million of them
produced each year in the UK alone. With so many being
produced, adverts need to contain something that is
going to make them stand out from the rest and attract
your attention. But how far should advertisers go?
 Category: Strategy: Social Responsibility
i This article considers some of the social and ethical
issues raised by regulation of shocking advertising
campaigns
is the most effective means at its disposal: attention
grabbing images placed as adverts in newspaper and
subsequent interviews and debate in the media. Two of
the Barnardos images are shown below:
The ruling against children charity Barnardos in
December 2003 for a series of shocking adverts
featuring babies highlights the rules businesses must
follow regarding taste and decency in advertising.
Self Regulation
To attract attention and to help get a message across,
images and language used in adverts can be shocking
and controversial. Some people find adverts offensive
– they can feel angry, upset, hurt or embarrassed.
When this happens – many complain to the Advertising
Standards Agency (“ASA”).
The ASA is the regulator of non-broadcast
advertisements, sales promotions and direct marketing
in the UK. It administers the “British Code of Advertising,
Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing” (The CAP
Code) to ensure that advertisements are legal, decent, Following the ASA’s decision to ban the poster
honest and truthful.
campaign, Barnardos responded by saying:
Every year the ASA receives approximately one quarter
of its complaints from people who are offended by
adverts for a variety of reasons. But should it always act
to ban advertising campaigns, or fine guilty businesses?
While some people find certain types of advertising
inappropriate and think it should not be shown, others
don’t like being told by others what they can and can’t
see.
Shock Tactics
In recent years, several companies have become
renowned for using shocking advertising. They spend
relatively little on making and placing the advertisements
but then gain massive exposure from the significant
press coverage of the adverts. Regulation of these
tactics is often too late – the damage is done as soon
as the publicity is created. So now the ASA insists
that previous offending businesses clear their adverts
with them before they go on display. In fact, many
advertisers now do this – to make sure that their
campaigns will pass the test.
Barnardos in the Dock
Barnardos – a well-respected charity – wanted to draw
attention to the high level of childhood poverty in the
UK. It sought to do this through what it considered
$ Sources used in this article:
© Tutor2u Limited 2003
As Britain’s largest children’s charity we do not use
powerful images lightly. However we have a duty to act
as a voice for the most vulnerable children and young
people in this country. While Barnardo’s appreciates
that some people find the images shocking we have
also received significant support from the public and
media alike. Before our advertising campaign child
poverty had not captured the public’s attention. We
have done more interviews on the issue in the last two
days, since the launch of the campaign, than we have
in the past two years.
ASA CAP CODE
Marketing communications should contain nothing
that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence
Particular care should be taken to avoid causing
offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual
orientation or disability.
Compliance with the Code will be judged on the
context, medium, audience, product and prevailing
standards of decency
Marketers are urged to consider public sensitivities
before using potentially offensive material.
The fact that a particular product is offensive to some
people is not sufficient grounds for objecting to a
marketing communication for it.
Barnardos Press Statement and web site; Advertising Standards Authority web site
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