Television sweet advertisers will have to brush up on new regulations

CHILDREN’S advertisements on television may have to display prices clearly and show a toothbrush on screen if it relates to sweets and chocolate, under rules to be published next week.

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has signed off on the final phase of the children’s advertising code, based on year-long consultations with children, parents, broadcasters and advertisers.

It is expected to be applied to all advertising on national and local radio and television services from later this year, but will not apply to foreign broadcast services received in Ireland. A draft code published in April included stipulations about factual presentation, such as giving children an indication of a product’s actual size, and a ban on Christmas-themed advertising before November 1 each year.

The draft code was based on more than 500 submissions from the public, almost half of them written by children. There were also strong representations from the multi-million euro advertising industry, including advertisers themselves and agencies responsible for developing ad campaigns.

A BCI spokesperson said about 100 further submissions were received in response to the draft, leading to the finalised code being agreed by the BCI board this week. Its conclusions are expected to be published next week and the advertising code could come into effect as early as September.

The need for such an advertising code was set down in the 2001 Broadcasting Act, and will replace existing ministerial codes. The draft code on which the BCI’s deliberations were based also set out that prices of goods costing over €30 should be presented on television in a clear large font and should also be voiced where appropriate. The use of language such as “only” and “just” in relation to pricing would also be banned, and children’s advertising that refers to free gifts would have to include all qualifying conditions such as time limits.

Rules on dietary and nutritional information are also included, with a ban on celebrities and sports stars promoting food or drink products, unless the ad is part of a public health or education campaign. In the past, Irish football stars like Damien Duff and Roy Keane have done ads for soft drinks and crisps companies.

The draft code includes a stipulation that all children’s advertising for confectionery, such as cakes, sweets and chocolates, must show a symbol toothbrush on screen.