Ad Standards

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|headquarters = Braddon, Australian Capital Territory{{cite web |title=contact |url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/contact |publisher=Ad Standards Limited |accessdate=11 November 2019}}

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Ad Standards manages the complaint resolution process of the advertising self-regulation system in Australia.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about|title=About us|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

It functions as secretariat for the Ad Standards Community Panel and the Ad Standards Industry Jury – the two independent bodies were established to determine consumer and competitive complaints against the advertising self-regulatory Codes.

The advertising self-regulation system is funded by a levy on advertising in Australia.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/ad-standards/|title=About us|date=2015-07-09|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

History

Ad Standards was established in 1998 by the Advertising industry to regulate complaints about advertising in Australia. It started as the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) but was rebranded to Ad Standards in 2018.{{Cite book|title=About us|publisher=Advertising Standards Bureau|year=2015 |pages=16|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/ad-standards/|accessdate=18 November 2016}}

Ad Standards originally only considered complaints under the Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) Code of Ethics. The remit of it has since expanded to administering a range of Codes.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/codes-and-cases/codes/|title=Codes|date=2015-05-08|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

In 2006 Ad Standards joined the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) to ensure access to an appropriate best practice model for advertising complaint resolution.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/self-regulation/|title=Self-regulation|date=2015-05-08|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}} It complies absolutely with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) Best Practice Principles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.easa-alliance.org/products-services/publications/best-practice-guidance|title=Best Practice Recommendations {{!}} EASA|website=www.easa-alliance.org|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Statistics and Issues

Ad Standards receives thousands of complaints every year. In 2023 it received more than 3500 complaints and investigated more than 250 different advertisements.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/media-releases/most-complained-about-ads-of-2023/|title=Most complained about ads of 2023|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2024-03-04}}

The main issues of concern were sexual appeal, violence, and demonstrating behaviour contrary to community health and safety standards.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smartcompany.com.au/marketing/advertising/45912-australia-s-first-ever-complaint-about-an-ad-40-years-of-advertising-self-regulation/|title=Australia's first ever complaint about an ad: 40 years of advertising self-regulation|newspaper=Smart Company|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Scope

Ad Standards considers complaints about advertising or marketing material across all mediums in Australia.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/issues/what-advertising-or-marketing-communication/|title=What is an advertising or marketing communication?|date=2015-10-19|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

It will accept a complaint if it falls under any of the Codes it administers.

It administers a range of Codes for the Australian Association of National Advertisers,{{Cite news|url=http://aana.com.au/self-regulation/codes/|title=Codes - AANA|newspaper=AANA|language=en-US|access-date=2016-11-18}} including:

The AANA Code of Ethics
The AANA Code for Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children
The AANA Food & Beverages Advertising and Marketing Communications Code
The AANA Environmental Claims in Advertising & Marketing Code
The AANA Wagering Advertising & Marketing Communications Code

It also administers the Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising for the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fcai.com.au/news/codes-of-practice/index/year/all/month/all/publication/9|title=Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising|date=2007-10-01|website=www.fcai.com.au|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Ad Standards collects complaints for the Alcoholic Beverages Advertising Code Scheme's Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code,{{Cite web|url=http://www.abac.org.au/publications/thecode/|title=The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme {{!}} The Code|website=www.abac.org.au|access-date=2016-11-18}} however adjudication under this Code is made by the ABAC Adjudication Panel.{{Cite web|url=http://www.abac.org.au/about/|title=The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme {{!}} About the ABAC Scheme|website=www.abac.org.au|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Complaint process

Members of the public can make complaints about any advertising in writing to Ad Standards, either through their website, or post.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/advertising-complaints-process/|title=Making a complaint|date=2015-04-21|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Once a complaint is received Ad Standards will assess the complaint and if it falls under the scope of the Codes the complaint will be forwarded to the Ad Standards Community Panel{{Cite news |date=2015-04-15 |title=Community Panel |url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/community-panel/ |access-date=2016-11-18 |newspaper=Ad Standards}} for assessment. Advertisers are also given a chance to provide a response to the Panel.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/responding-to-a-complaint/|title=Responding to complaints|date=2015-05-15|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

The Panel is made up of members of the community who have no connection to the advertising industry or interest groups. The Panel includes people from a broad range of age groups and backgrounds and is gender balanced.

The Panel meets twice a month to consider complaints. The panel will consider the complaint/s, the advertisement and the advertiser's response and make a determination based on whether the advertisement breaches any of the provisions under the Codes.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/advertising-complaints-process/|title=Community Panel meetings|date=2015-05-15|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

If a complaint against any advertisement is upheld the advertiser is asked to remove or amend the offending advertisement as soon as possible.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/about/advertising-complaints-process/|title=Notification of the outcome|date=2015-05-15|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}

Copies of all decisions made by the Panel are published on the Ad Standards website.{{Cite news|url=https://adstandards.com.au/cases/|title=Ad Standards Community Panel cases|newspaper=Ad Standards|access-date=2016-11-18}}