New Advertising Standards Code Comes Into Effect For All New Ads

From Thursday 1 November 2018 all new advertising must comply with the Advertising Standards Code. This Code was developed by the ASA Codes Committee, which includes advertiser, agency, media and public representatives, and in consultation with industry and public sectors.

The Advertising Standards Code is a consolidation of six codes – the Advertising Code of Ethics, Code for Comparative Advertising, Code for People in Advertising, Code for Advertising Food, Code for Environmental Claims, and Code for Advertising Vehicles. By 1 February 2019 all advertisements need to comply with this new code.

Over the past few months the ASA has offered a variety of options for industry to learn about the Advertising Standards Code. Five open briefings were held in Auckland and one in Wellington along with a number of organisations requesting their own in-house briefing. These briefings have provided in excess of 400 participants with details on the structure of the code and some of the rules that have changed, are new or are common areas of complaint to the ASA.

To view the new code please click here.