Latest News > Healthy Lifestyles Promotion Not Ad Bans
19 March 2009
Ad bans punish everyone for excesses of the minority....
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) urges the Federal Government to increase its advertising spending on healthy lifestyles campaigns as a means of encouraging moderation in alcohol consumption.
“Banning advertising effectively penalises everyone for the excesses of a few,” said AANA CEO Scott McClellan. “It is a blunt instrument that treats the whole population as if they were binge drinkers, when what is needed is a more surgical approach that targets the small part of the population that behaves in this anti-social manner.
“Ad bans punish our cultural institutions, the arts, our sports, without any health upside. Once ad bans are in place the economic damage is done, including the loss of jobs. It can’t be undone. If we are banning alcohol promotion, does that mean we ban films and television programs where there is drinking? And what comes next? Ad bans on cars because some people are killed in car accidents? Ad bans on banks because some people borrowed too much and can’t pay their bills? We need to use common sense in this debate.”
The marketing and media industry and all the jobs it supports makes a $30 billion annual contribution to the economy. Policy makers need to consider the harm they risk doing to the economy, especially as most of the literature shows that advertising does not increase alcohol consumption (see attached schedule).
“A better approach is to use advertising to communicate a message of responsible consumption, such as the DrinkWise Australia campaign ‘Kids follow your drinking.’ This should be combined with targeted healthcare initiatives designed to address the needs of the minority who abuse alcohol.”
A whole of community response is needed, and that means individuals need to get involved by talking to their friends and family members.
“People need to take responsibility for themselves and the people close to them. Most of us know someone who drinks too much. But when was the last time any of us took that friend or family member aside and had a word with them about their drinking? Why don’t we do more of that? Why is it such a taboo? We need to ask ourselves these questions as a society, not point the finger of blame at advertising and think that’s going to solve anything.”
The AANA contends it is unreasonable to put consumers of alcohol in the same category as smokers by putting cigarette-style warning labels on alcohol packaging. Smokers know, or they should know by now, that every cigarette is damaging their health. The same is not true for alcohol. The evidence is that moderate consumption of alcohol has positive health benefits. Labels already disclose the alcohol content and amount of standard drinks the product contains. Many also point consumers to additional information about safe drinking.
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For further information:
Scott McClellan, Chief Executive Officer, AANA, 02 9221 8088
Background Information
The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) is the peak advertising industry body representing the rights and responsibilities of Australia’s major advertisers and their industry partners. Further information about the AANA is available from http://www.aana.com.au/
The AANA’s aim and objective is to promote and safeguard the advertising interests of its members and to ensure that ethical standards are upheld through the management of the industry’s self-regulation system, implemented today through the Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) in Canberra. The industry self regulation system is created, reviewed and owned by the AANA.
The AANA represents the interests of companies responsible for 85% of Australia’s annual expenditure on national mainstream media advertising, which topped $10 billion in 2005.
The ASB administers a complaints process under a national system of advertising self-regulation through the Advertising Standards Board and the Advertising Claims Board. Both boards make their determinations about complaints under appropriate sections of the Advertiser Code of Ethics, and the Food & Beverages Advertising & Marketing Communications Code and the Advertising and Marketing to Children Code as prescribed by the AANA, by following principles laid down by the AANA in consultation with the advertising industry and other stakeholders. Further information about the ASB is available from http://www.adstandards.com.au/pages/index,asp
The ASB reports annually on the complaints it has received.