Dear William,
The new Children’s Advertising Code comes into effect today following the completion of a wide-ranging public review.
The new Code extends safeguards to all advertising directed at children, addressing concerns raised by the community, government and industry and recognises the distinct vulnerability of children and provides a robust framework for the advertising industry.
The Code is no longer limited to advertising for children’s products and will provide critical protections around any advertising directed at children.
The new Code has an expanded remit, applying to all advertising targeting children, not just advertising of children’s products, and adds new protections to prohibit the advertising of products such as vapes or kava to children. It sets the minimum standards for advertising targeting children including:
- a clear prohibition on marketing of hazardous products (eg. vapes) to children or encouraging unsafe practices (eg. bullying or unhealthy body image);
- recognition of recent research around the power of influencers and delivers additional protection that requires influencer advertising to be clearly and immediately recognisable as advertising to a child;
- a special recognition that advertising targeting children must be communicated in a way clearly understood by children and goes beyond Australian Consumer Law;
- a prohibition on the use of sexual appeal or sexual imagery in any communication with children;
- a prohibition on the use of images that may unduly frighten or distress children; and
- a prohibition on advertising that encourages pester power or undermines parental authority.
The new Children’s Advertising Code effective today, 1 December, complements AANA’s Food & Beverage Advertising Code which already bans advertising of occasional food and beverages to children.
The new Code is supported by an explanatory Practice Note for the practical application of the Code and AANA has provided comprehensive training to the industry through an industry-wide webinar accessible to anyone to ensure Australian advertisers comply with the new rules. Additionally, AANA members have exclusive access to free advice and tailored training.
Complaints about advertising that raise issues under the Children’s Advertising Code are handled by Ad Standards and are determined by the Ad Standards Community Panel, whose independent members are representative of the community.
