British Censorship

 British Censorship in Advertising 

by Kaleigh Hoole-Harman

Brief History of British Advertising and Censorship

   The Advertising Association (AA) is a trade association that represents agencies, media and research services, and advertisers in the UK and was established in 1924. Its role/aim is to promote the rights and responsibilities of advertising and its impact on society.  

    After discussions with other industry professionals in 1961, the AA found it important that consumers in non-broadcast media welcomed and trusted advertisements. This led to the formation of the Committee of Advertising Practice, also known as CAP. CAP produced the first version of the British Code of Advertising Practice.  

    Then in 1962 CAP established the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA functions as an independent advertising regulator under the code, as mentioned above. Its purpose was to supervise the work of the self-regulatory system in the interest of the public.  

    In 1988, the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations came out. This allowed the ASA to be backed legally by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT). For the first time, because of these regulations, the ASA was able to refer advertisers who refused to co-operate with the self-regulatory system to the OFT where legal action could ensue.  

    Today the ASA still functions in the same manner. 

Example of Modern Day Censorship 

    In 2012 Toyota UK released a commercial, known as "The Real Deal," for their Toyota GT86. This commercial became banned in the UK due to it being seen as an encouragement for dangerous driving. 

 Toyota had told the ASA that it did not, in fact, condone unsafe or irresponsible driving.  As well as how its commercial is impossible to reproduce under real-world conditions. The commercial depicts a dystopian video game of sorts with a clearly digitally produced man. 

    Despite the ban from television, the commercial was still available online on Toyota UK’s YouTube page, but as of today it is no longer there but can clearly still be found on the internet.