Advertising Standards Bureau - Review of Operations 2013 | Page 4

Who we are 2013 The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) administers Australia’s national system of self-regulation in relation to both public and competitor complaints. This is achieved through the independent complaints resolution processes of the Advertising Standards Board and the Advertising Claims Board respectively. The Bureau was established for the purposes of: • e stablishing and monitoring a self-regulatory system to regulate advertising standards in Australia • p romoting confidence in, and respect for, the general standards of advertising on the part of the community and the legislators Public complaints about particular advertisements in relation to the issues below are considered cost-free to the community by the Advertising Standards Board: In 2013 the ASB administered the following codes of practice: • h ealth and safety • u se of language • A ANA Advertiser Code of Ethics • • A ANA Code for Advertising and Marketing Communications to Children u se of sexual appeal in a manner that is exploitative and degrading images • d iscriminatory portrayal of people • A ANA Food and Beverages Advertising and Marketing Communication Code • c oncern for children • p ortrayal of violence, sex, sexuality and nudity • a dvertising to children • a dvertising of food and beverages • a dvertising of cars under the FCAI Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising • e xplaining the role of advertising in a free enterprise system • • r unning other regulatory systems as contracted from time to time. A ANA Environmental Claims in Advertising and Marketing Code • F ederal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) Voluntary Code of Practice for Motor Vehicle Advertising • A ustralian Food and Grocery Council Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative of the Australian Food and Beverage Industry Funded through a levy paid by Australian advertisers, this proven system of advertising self­­­‑regulation has operated since 1998 following extensive consultation within the industry and with government and consumer representatives. The ASB also works with the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) management scheme, and accepts, and forwards to the ABAC administrator, all complaints about alcohol advertisements. • A ustralian Food and Grocery Council Quick Service Restaurant Initiative for Responsible Advertising and Marketing to Children An Independent Review process continues to provide the community and advertisers a channel through which they can appeal decisions made by the Advertising Standards Board. Established in 2008 to consider consumer and advertiser disagreement with Board determinations, the process is reviewed regularly with a view to maintaining and leading international best practice in delivery of the advertising self‑regulation system in Australia. Competitor claims between advertisers in relation to truth, accuracy and legality of particular advertisements are considered on a user-pays basis by the Advertising Claims Board. 2 Advertising Standards Bureau