When Covid restrictions were in force, it was hard to keep up with TV advertising guidelines. Did you need to show people being socially distanced and wearing masks? Was it wrong to depict them travelling anywhere? Why did you need to be particularly cautious about health claims?
As you can imagine, the TV ad clearance body Clearcast had a busy year dealing with these new issues, as well as moving its training online. And even post-Covid, there are still many reasons why an ad might not get approved. The digital world is changing rapidly, so Clearcast work alongside clients to help get their ads to air by acting as partners from script to screen.
Here are some of the most common questions it receives from marketers:
1. What kinds of things prevent ads from getting approved?
In the UK, broadcasters aren’t allowed to show ads that are misleading, harmful or offensive. Common restrictions include content that might cause physical, mental or moral harm to children, or contain misleading medical claims. So before ads are aired, Clearcast checks them against the UK Codes of Advertising (the BCAP and CAP codes), which set out what is and isn’t permitted. It aims to make consistent decisions on content, deciding if it’s acceptable and putting restrictions on it where necessary.
2. How can I avoid my ad receiving a restriction?
In some cases restrictions are unavoidable because of the product, claim or subject matter. It’s about understanding the parameters of what’s possible and working within them. Book yourself onto a Clearcast training course, either in-person or online, and get to know how ads are approved so next time a great idea is in the making you are the best person to have around the table.
Clearcast’s UK & international training manager Michael Haydon says of its courses: “My goal is to give attendees the inside track to get their best ideas on air. I guarantee content will always be packed with tips, tricks and best-practice advice to help ensure smooth approvals.”
And here’s what recent course attendees had to say:
“This training has been invaluable for the new circumstances and planning ads running around/after this period.” Covid-19 training
“It was super interesting & made me feel much more confident in knowing where ‘the right line’ is in travel comms at the moment. 10/10.” Travel training
3. What new issues do I need to be aware of?
Over the past two years, as well as new courses about Covid, Clearcast has also set up training courses on ‘supers’ (the super-imposed legal text on an advert) and gender stereotyping, following 2019’s regulation that prohibits advertising from depicting harmful stereotypes.
4. How can I keep up to date with issues after my training course?
Clearcast is keen to help marketers with any tricky issues, and it holds a weekly Q&A via its Training Twitter page; over the past year it’s addressed more than 100 questions on dozens of topics.
As well as clearing ads and providing training, Clearcast offers a range of other services, including fast track clearance, copy development, TV administration and metadata. It runs specialist CPD-certified courses for agencies, advertisers and broadcasters, and is now taking pre-bookings for 2022, which will be a mixture of in-person and online sessions. For the full 2022 course listings and to pre-book, get in touch.
