Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland
releases latest Complaints Bulletin
- 21 advertisements found to be in breach of the ASAI Code on grounds relating to Misleading Advertising, Health and Beauty, Principles, Decency & Propriety
16th December 2019 – The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland’s (ASAI) independent Complaints Committee has released its latest Complaints Bulletin, which contains 25 case reports on complaints recently investigated by the organisation.
21 of the 25 advertisements were found to have been in breach of the ASAI Code on grounds related to Misleading Advertising, Health and Beauty, Principles, Decency & Propriety and Substantiation. The advertisements complained of related to Social Media, Online, Radio and Outdoor advertising. Two of those upheld related to intra industry / interested party complaints. The ASAI Complaints Committee chose not to uphold four consumer complaints.
The Complaints Committee is a completely independent arm of the ASAI and is responsible for considering and adjudicating on complaints submitted by the public, by an organisation, by a Government Department or any other person or body. The Committee is made up of a range of experts from the advertising, media, education, consumer and marketing sectors. See further details here – https://www.asai.ie/about-us/complaints-committee
Commenting on the latest ASAI rulings, Orla Twomey, Chief Executive of the ASAI, stated:
“The latest complaints bulletin from the ASAI illustrates our ability to handle complaints across a large number of mediums. The main role of advertising self-regulatory organizations (SROs) is to ensure that ads and other marketing communications are legal, truthful, decent and honest and the ASAI is committed to protecting society in relation to advertising across all mediums.”
“The ASAI provide a free and confidential copy advice service to the advertising industry to help them create responsible ads. If an advertiser, agency or medium has any concerns about a marketing communications’ compliance with the ASAI’s Code, they can contact us and avail of the free and confidential copy advice service.”
Professor Bairbre Redmond, Independent Head of the Complaints Committee of the ASAI, says:
“Over the past few years, the Complaints Committee, comprised of independent and industry members, has dealt with a broad range of complaints. The Complaints Committee has also spent considerable time highlighting awareness in relation to advertising best practice within the advertising industry, ensuring all relevant parties are equipped with the knowledge and resources to correctly identify commercial marketing content across their platforms.”
A list of complaints which have been found to be in breach of the ASAI Code are available here.
The ASAI conducts ongoing monitoring of advertising across all media and since 2007, has examined over 27,000 advertisements, with an overall compliance rate of 98 per cent. The ASAI Monitoring Service monitors compliance with the Complaints Committee’s adjudications.
Media members are reminded that advertisements found to be in breach of the Code cannot be accepted for publication.
Or follow the ASAI on Twitter @THE_ASAI
For further information, please contact:
Breda Brown / Clodagh Foley
Unique Media
Tel: 01 5225200 / 085 865 8019 (CF)
Editorial Notes:
The Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland is financed by the advertising industry and committed, in the public interest, to promoting the highest standards of marketing communications that is advertising, promotional marketing and direct marketing. The objective is to ensure that all commercial marketing communications are ‘legal, decent, honest and truthful’.
Members of the ASAI are required to abide by the Code and not to publish an advertisement or conduct a promotion which contravenes Code rules. The Code covers commercial marketing communications and sales promotions in all media in Ireland including digital (online banners, websites and social platforms), print, outdoor, radio, TV, leaflets/brochures, and direct marketing.
Further information on advertising self-regulation, the ASAI and the operation
of the system is available at www.asai.ie
