ADVERTISING CO-REGULATION
IN AUSTRALIA
Background
Until 1996, advertising in Australia was self-regulated by the Media Council
of Australia (MCA) and the Advertising Standards Council. The Media Council
primarily administered a media agency accreditation scheme. It also administered
a system of advertising codes for general advertising under the banner
of the Advertising Code of Ethics and specific industry advertising codes
applicable to certain industries. The Advertising Standards Council adjudicated
complaints against advertisements.
Following a decision by the Australian Competition Tribunal
on the operation of the Media Council’s accredited agency scheme,
the MCA decided to wind up its operations in December 1996 and disband
its advertising code system.
The
Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) —
an industry body representing the interests of advertisers — subsequently
determined it would establish a replacement self-regulatory advertising
code and complaints structure for the advertising industry, its clients,
and consumers. Between November 1996 and October 1997 negotiations took
place between AANA members and representatives of the radio, television,
print, cinema and outdoor advertising industries, and groups representing
the alcohol beverages, therapeutic goods and slimming products industries.
A new Advertiser Code of Ethics and a new complaints handling
bureau were developed by the AANA and a set of principles to guide the
development of new, industry specific advertising codes was agreed to.
The AANA’s Self-Regulatory System
| The AANA’s
system for advertising self-regulation has three important parts: |
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The
Advertiser Code of Ethics, which applies to all
forms of advertising; |
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The
Advertising Standards Board (ASB)
Which considers complaints about advertising involving issues of taste
and decency and health and safety by applying the second part of the
Advertiser Code of Ethics; and |
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The
Advertising Claims Board (ACB)
Which primarily considers competitor to competitor complaints about
advertising involving questions of truth, accuracy, and questions
of law by applying the first part of the Advertiser Code of Ethics. |
Under the AANA’s system, specialist
industries with their own codes of advertising, such as alcohol beverages,
continued to be managed by the relevant industry group/s.
Background to the Alcohol Beverages Advertising
Code
The Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code (ABAC) is the self-regulating advertising
code of the Australian alcohol beverages industry. ABAC is part of the AANA
umbrella system and replaces the former alcohol beverages advertising code
administered by the disbanded Media Council of Australia.
ABAC came into operation on 1 July, 1998.
ABAC was developed in agreement with all key Australian
alcohol beverage manufacturing and marketing industry associations, and
key advertising, media and consumer bodies. ABAC also consulted with relevant
federal government ministers, their advisers and departments, and with the
Australian Consumers Association and the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission (ACCC).
| The four major alcohol
beverage industry associations: |
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Australian
Associated Brewers Inc (AAB) |
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Distilled
Spirits Industry Council of Australia Inc (DSICA) |
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Liquor Merchants
Association of Australia Ltd (LMA) |
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Winemakers’ Federation of Australia
Inc (WFA) |
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established ABAC, jointly fund the operation
of the Code and manage it through their membership of the ABAC Management
Committee. The ABAC Management Committee also includes a representative
of the Advertising
Federation of Australia (AFA). |
Members of these four alcohol beverage industry associations
are committed to abide by both the Code and the decisions of the ABAC
Complaints Adjudication Panel.
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