The Advertising Standards Bureau has notified the AANA & AFA of an increase in the number of complaints it is now receiving about internet advertising and intended action.
You may care to advise all appropriate agency personnel that the following is the ASB's position in relation to such complaints:
- The ASB will consider complaints about advertising material placed on third party websites (such as ninemsn), considering that material on these sites must comply with AANA Code provisions in their entirety.
- The ASB will consider complaints about 'microsite' promotion of specific products, with all information on these sites requiring compliance with the AANA Code provisions in their entirety.
- Corporate websites as a whole will generally not fall within the scope of AANA Codes, but there are circumstances under which material presented on those websites could be construed as advertising and therefore fall within the scope of the Codes. (For example, the recent case with Bondi Blonde).
Complaints about material on corporate websites will be subject to a case-by-case analysis by the ASB CEO to determine whether such complaints should be referred to the Advertising Standards Board.
In practical terms, material on corporate websites that actively promotes particular products is likely to be considered to be advertising material and those parts of the corporate website must comply with the AANA Code provisions in their entirety.
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