Advertising Standards Authority

ASA – advertising standards authority

In the uk, the ASA regulates all media advertising in non broadcast media, such as newspapers or magazines. There is a code of practise where adverts must be

-         Legal, decent, honest and truthful

-         Show responsibility to the consumer and to society

-         Follow business principles to fair competition

Example of a banned advert:

source: Daily Mail

A TV commercial featuring Georgia May Jagger gave the impression a Rimmel mascara had miraculous results in creating longer, thicker eye-lashes.

However, the images failed to make clear that the effect was enhanced with artificial lashes.Today, the Advertising Standards Authority(ASA) has banned the maker of Rimmel London's '1-2-3 Looks Mascara' from running the commercial again.

Separate magazine advertisements using the same techniques have also been banned for failing to give clear information that the improvement was achieved with false eyelashes.

The advertisements and commercial showed Georgia May Jagger, the daughter of Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall, in profile.  The text and voiceover gave the impression that turning a dial on the mascara would provide thicker, longer lashes on a scale of one to three.

In fact, the longer, fuller eyelashes seen in each image were actually created using artificial inserts.