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ASIA PACIFIC: AUSTRALIA

New Code For Junk Food Ads
Author: Peter LeGuay, Thomson Playford

The Australian Association of National Advertisers has recently issued a new Food & Beverages Advertising & Marketing Communication Code to regulate the advertising and marketing of food and beverages. 

In a bid to combat the growing concern over obesity, the new Code prohibits advertisers from undermining the importance of a healthy or active lifestyle, encourages the promotion of healthy balanced diets and discourages excessive consumption of food. More specifically, advertisers will no longer be permitted to use sporting, news or current affairs personalities in advertisements that appear within media segments devoted to general and sports news or current affairs without clearly distinguishing between the commercial promotion and the editorial program content.

Of particular note are the new restrictions on food and beverage advertisements aimed at children. The new Code prevents advertisers from manipulating children’s imaginations by prohibiting advertisers from stating that use of a particular food or drink product will create a physical, social or psychological advantage over other children or that its non-use will have the opposite effect. The new Code also prohibits advertisements that use “pester” power techniques, such as offering free toys when purchasing food or drink products.  Interestingly, the new Code does not reach advertisers’ websites that contain internet games targeted at children.