Advertising industry pledges action on children

10 October 2011

Mark Lund, Chair of the Advertising Association's Children's Panel, will this week present to Prime Minister David Cameron new guidelines preventing children aged under 16 from being employed to act as brand ambassadors or in peer-to-peer marketing campaigns.

The move, instigated by the Panel and widely supported by industry, was recommended by Reg Bailey, CEO of Mother's Union, in his Government report “Letting Children Be Children.”

Lund said: “Bailey recognised that the commercial world has much to offer children and families, but that we need to ensure we observe sensible guidelines in the way we interact with them. These measures will help industry do just that.”

The Advertising Association has issued new guidance that:

“Young people under the age of 16 should not be employed and directly or indirectly paid or paid-in-kind to actively promote brands, products, goods, services, causes or ideas to their peers, associates or friends.”

The principle has been supported by more than twenty leading organisations and key trade associations. The guidance does not apply to the employment of children as actors or performers in advertisements.

The industry will also outline new actions to restrict the use of sexualised imagery in outdoor media – particularly near schools – and plans to provide better information to parents on digital marketing techniques.

These changes will help advertisers manage campaigns in the context of a statement from the Advertising Standards Authority that the regulator is reviewing the acceptability of sexualised imagery in outdoor advertising, to take account of parental concern expressed in Reg Bailey's report.

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