So…I believe I’ve discovered my dream job.
My awesome roommate, Monica Saunders, scheduled a visit with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) earlier this week, and I was blown away by their presentation. I took a Race, Gender, and Class in the Media course last year, and it really challenged me to think deeply about the power of the media’s influence and the importance of media literacy.
The ASA was my class on steroids.
The Advertising Standards Authority is responsible for determining whether or not an advertisement should be banned, if it is offensive or immoral. Their company motto is that advertising should be “Legal, decent, honest, and truthful.” What made the careers of Matt Wilson and Bridie Creely (our speakers) so amazing, was that the ASA actually has the power to regulate advertisements through multiple mediums, such as TV, Internet, radio, billboards, e-mails, social media, etc. If only an organization like this existed in the United States. (sigh) We need it desperately. The advertising industry is very creative and exciting, but with great power comes great responsibility.
The ASA helps hold advertisers accountable. The organization is based in the United Kingdom, and their purpose is to regulate and uphold the standards of advertising in the UK. They receive 90% of complaints from consumers, which puts the viewers in control. And if the advertisement in question needs to be evaluated, the ASA will arrange a meeting with an internal jury to decide if an ad needs to be banned, or put further restrictions on when and where the ad can be aired or printed. I personally am a fan of advertising, and I think it can be really creative and inspiring when a product or brand is good. But advertising is also very powerful and it’s important for advertisers to meet a specific standard in order to prevent consumers from manipulation or harm. During the presentation, Matt and Bridie provided examples of print and video ads that were controversial. They also shared the ASA’s final decision on whether to pull the ad. One advertisement that received a lot of complaints was a KFC commercial for their new Mini Fillet chicken sandwiches. Can you guess some of the viewers’ complaints?
Majority of viewers complained because the sandwich in the advertisement looked larger than the real sandwiches sold at KFC. Bridie mentioned, in a sort of embarrassed way, that it was sad that many “Brits” were up in arms about the size of the sandwich. But her statement made me wonder about commercials that have ruffled the feathers of some Americans. I immediately thought of the controversy that boomed after the Cheerios commercial that featured a mixed child and her interracial parents. I wish the first ad to popped into my head dealt with the size of a chicken sandwich.
Visiting the ASA on Tuesday was very timely as well. Earlier in class, we discussed Chapter 2: The Trouble with Culture of our textbook for our advertising class, Another Bites the Grass: Making Sense of International Advertising by Simon Anholt. It discusses how everyone has their own individual culture, and can never completely understand another culture without having grown up in that culture. It was encouraging to know that the ASA had a diverse group of people serving on their jury when reviewing advertisements, but they also aimed to become even more diverse.
Media Literacy is so vital. The use of Photoshop, thin models, overt sexual images of women and men, and ads that cause harm to children, are all elements the ASA pays close attention to. The United States needs an organization like this. Both Bridie and Matt agreed that many of the advertisers in the U.S. can get away more questionable ads. Below is an advertisement for American Apparel that was banded in the UK, with a lovely “made in the USA” seal of approval.
This ad is extremely offensive with an unhappy model partially nude on the left, and a faceless woman posing suggestively on the right. How awkward was this photo shoot? On both pages the woman’s face is overshadowed by her body. And I don’t understand how one can advertise clothes in a bedroom. What were the creative directors thinking? This is why organizations like the ASA are necessary.
The ASA receives 90% of its complaints from consumers. The are also independent, so no companies can sway the ASA’s decision making through bribery or financial pressures. I also appreciate them for their reasoning in deciding whether or not to ban an ad. Rather than being so strongly influenced by the public, they receive their complaints and then consider all perspectives when making a final decision. I believe the ASA is essential to protecting unsuspecting viewers, and if there was something like this in the United States, I would definitely be submitting my application.
The Sojournalist 