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Belch: Advertising and
Promotion, Sixth Edition
VII. Special Topics and
Perspectives
21. Regulation of
Advertising and Promotion
political ads, may reject any they regard as objectionable. Some media exclude advertising
for an entire product class; others ban individual ads they think offensive or
objectionable. For example, Reader’s Digest does not accept advertising for tobacco
or liquor products. A number of magazines in the United States and other countries
refused to run some of Benetton’s shock ads on the grounds that their readers would
find them offensive or disturbing (Exhibit 21-4). 21
Newspapers and magazines have their own advertising requirements and restrictions,
which often vary depending on the size and nature of the publication. Large,
established publications, such as major newspapers or magazines, often have strict
standards regarding the type of advertising they accept. Some magazines, such as Parents
and Good Housekeeping, regularly test the products they advertise and offer a
“seal of approval” and refunds if the products are later found to be defective. Such
policies are designed to enhance the credibility of the publication and increase the
reader’s confidence in the products it advertises.
Advertising on television and radio has been regulated for years through codes
developed by the industry trade association, the National Association of Broadcasters
(NAB). Both the radio code (established in 1937) and the television code (1952) provided
standards for broadcast advertising for many years. Both codes prohibited the
advertising of certain products, such as hard liquor. They also affected the manner in
which products could be advertised. However, in 1982, the NAB suspended all of its
code provisions after the courts found that portions (dealing with time standards and
required length of commercials in the TV code) were in restraint of trade. While the
NAB codes are no longer in force, many individual broadcasters, such as the major
TV networks, have incorporated major portions of the code provisions into their own
standards. 22
The four major television networks have the most stringent review process of any
media. All four networks maintain standards and practices divisions, which carefully
review all commercials submitted to the network or individual affiliate stations.
Advertisers must submit for review all commercials intended for airing on the network
or an affiliate.
A commercial may be submitted for review in the form of a script, storyboard, animatic,
or finished commercial (when the advertiser believes there is little chance of
objection). A very frustrating, and often expensive, scenario for both an agency and its
client occurs when a commercial is approved at the storyboard stage but then is
rejected after it is produced. Commercials are rejected for a variety of reasons, including
violence, morbid humor, sex, politics, and religion. Network reviewers also consider
whether the proposed commercial meets acceptable standards and is appropriate
for certain audiences. For example, different standards are used for ads designated for
© The McGraw−Hill
Companies, 2003
Exhibit 21-4 A number
of magazines refused to run
this Benetton ad
719
Chapter Twenty-one Regulation of Advertising and Promotion