For those of us who are easily excited by advertising matters, there was an announcement a few months ago that caught our attention.

The word was out that the remit of the ASA and the Advertising Codes would soon be extended to cover website content and editorial, rather than just obvious paid for advertising. That was something which many have argued has been long overdue, and would serve to plug a pretty big lacuna in the current regulatory landscape.

The fact that it was on the horizon saw us through the slightly anticlimactic introduction of the new Advertising Codes. They were published in advance a few months ago, but come into effect on 1 September. Whilst the new versions of the Codes are a little easier to navigate, and more consistent, the substantive changes are actually fairly few. (There is a new over-arching social responsibility provision in the new Broadcast Code, extra protections and controls relating to children and environmental claims, and a number of other specific provisions.)

After the announcement of the proposed new Codes came the ASA's Process Review, which hinted that in the future competitor complaints will not be free of charge, as well as concluding that the Codes should more closely reflect the law and in particular the Consumer Protection Regulations. To the disappointment of some solicitors, however, it also decided that the current lawyer free landscape for the Independent Review Process appeal hearings should remain as is.

But, we thought, it would all be OK, because the ASA remit was about to be extended online.

And now we hear that this has been delayed, until probably next March, as a result of unspecified concerns over the scope of the new rules.

Oh well - keep watching this space.

Author: Andy Millmore is Head of the Advertising Group.

31 August 2010

STOP PRESS: The ASA has this morning announced that the extension will take effect from 1 March 2011.

1 September 2010