How to challenge unfair or offensive advertising? – Virtual Poland

Fast, easy and free advertising can be appealed, which is offensive to us or just cheating. You can do this thanks to the Advertising Ethics Commission, which assesses the reasonableness of complaints. Typically, more than one third of then disappears from the television.

– submitting a complaint on advertising that may violate ethical rules, for example. Is iconoclastic, or misleading, you should indicate what product is involved, give his name, and where and when the ad be published. The applicant does not necessarily indicate violations of specific provisions of the Code of Ethics in Advertising, must, however, indicate why you consider that message as unethical – says Konrad Drozdowski, CEO of the Advertising Council, at which operates Advertising Ethics Committee.

The Commission has published a different view of advertising, eg. In “Playboy “and other such, which are placed on the huge external media. Sometimes the use of exposed body simply due to the nature of the product – eg. In underwear commercials, but in many situations this could be the objectification of women. As an example, he pointed to advertising of energy drinks where, under the slogan “Be sinful” on outdoor advertising media presented photos of models in erotic poses much of what looked like bold advertising underwear. The Commission considered that they discriminate against women and treat them objectively.

The protests also aroused such. Internet advertising of children’s tights that showed several years on the vamp girl stylized, exaggerated makeup. Also in this case, the Commission ruled that the advertisement violates these standards, as in a manner inconsistent with prevailing social norms shows children as adults, giving them sexual characteristics.

A complaint for unfair or offensive advertising can be sent via a simple web form on the Advertising Council, or by mail. Her submission is free, and the whole process of examining the complainant is informed of what is happening with his request.

The basis for decisions is formulated by the industry Code of Ethics in Advertising, setting out the principles that should be followed when creating advertising messages . It is an example. That should not be motivated to buy the product through the use of random events, causing anxiety or a sense of fear, mislead its audience and encourage acts of violence or present data and studies in methodologically incorrect manner. Special rules apply to advertising directed at children and advertisements containing environmental information, as well as eg. Direct marketing and promotions.

– The complaint goes to the Committee of Ethics in Advertising, which the arbitrators composed of representatives of the industry, experts in the field of media and marketing. Assigned to each case is also an arbitrator-clerk, who first examine the complaint and make any complaints on behalf of consumers. About to respond to the allegations also asked the advertiser. Finally, the case goes to the bench – he described Drozdowski.

The arbitrators may agree (or not) with all the allegations against advertising, or just a part of them. It will settle whether the ad should not be broadcast at all, or is it sufficient if they are to her changes. There is also the appeal procedure against the decision.

– The involvement of companies in the matter is often very large. It happens that corporations shipped on the meeting of the entire staff of employees, representing both the department of marketing, public relations and legal department – said Drozdowski. As he spoke, a similar system of industry self-regulation works in most EU countries, and representatives of organizations from across Europe conduct joint European monitoring.

– Although it is a voluntary scheme, it is the system effective. In France, self-regulation in the advertising field has been operating for 80 years – said Drozdowski. (Poland, the Commission has been operating since mid-2006.)

He said the individual markets differ. – Polish advertising market is non-aggressive and despite all strongly conservative. Polish controversial advertising in scale from the point of view of other countries are fairly common, especially when it comes to outdoor advertising – assessed. According Drozdowski in the case of Polish, approximately 80 per cent. consumer complaints relates to matters of customs, nudity, and the image of women.

By Drozdowski in Polish realities harms rather controversial advertising company. – One of the mobile operators decided in its campaign to present the product as designed for real men. TV spots depicted women as dumber than men – eg. Women tried to cut down a tree that zwalały them on the head, they tried to extinguish the fire, and set fires in buildings, etc. Starter Kit contains erotic poster. It turned out that calling this type of association with the product did not affect most of its sales and today this operator on the market does not have – described by the representative of the Advertising Council.

Much rarer are, however, complaints, eg. On advertising of financial services, which often comes under the microscope of the OCCP, the ads directed at children.

According to the representative of the Advertising Council currently the biggest challenge is to control the advertising on the Internet, firstly because the sender may be located outside the Polish, and besides advertising can, for example . view of one person based on browsing history on the Internet, and another has not, hence the problem of monitoring this type of content. In addition, more and more consumers interact with brands on social networks and forums, so you can not talk about the classic situation of active and passive recipient advertisers.

The Union of Associations Advertising Council brings together organizations bringing together participants of the advertising market: advertisers, agencies advertising, PR and marketing these and broadcasters, including SAR Marketing Communication Association, International Advertising Association in Poland (IAA), the Chamber of Press Publishers, the Polish Federation of Food Industry Employers’ Association, the Union of Brewing Industry Employers – Polish Breweries, Polish Union of Cosmetics Industry and the Association of Direct Marketing.