Warc, 12 May 2014
MANCHESTER: Most British consumers believe that alcohol ads
breach broadcasting regulations and that the regulatory code for the industry
is inadequate, new academic research has revealed.
University of Manchester researchers recently polled 373 UK
adults, aged 18-74, and found 75% of respondents thought each of a sample of
seven ads breached at least one rule from the Advertising Standards Authority's
Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) code, Science Newsline
reported.
More than half of those questioned perceived breaches to
rules designed to prevent alcohol being presented as contributing to popularity
or confidence, or implying it is capable of changing mood and physical
condition, or as nourishment.
The study was published in the Alcohol and Alcoholism
Journal, which is co-owned by the Oxford University Press and the Medical
Council on Alcoholism.
With an estimated £100m spent on TV ads for alcohol each
year, the research may add to the ongoing UK debate about whether the rules
should be toughened up.
Professor David French, who led the research, said:
"Our results suggest that the UK alcohol and advertising industries design
advertisements [that] do not appear to comply with the letter or the spirit of
the BCAP code.
"Many adverts allude to themes such as youth culture,
immoderation and social and sexual success, although many may not explicitly
show them."
He added: "The results of the present analysis, along
with the comparatively small number of breaches judged by the ASA, indicate
that co-regulation of UK television alcohol adverts is ineffective and requires
further consideration.
"It also suggests that only a minuscule proportion of
members of the public who perceive adverts as containing elements that breach
the BCAP Code actually report them."
Data sourced from Science Newsline; additional content by
Warc staff
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