Advertising Industry Codes of Practice

The UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code)
Here are some industry codes of practice that we will comply with when producing our film trailer. As we are using under eighteen year olds as our characters, it is important to follow the rules of what is acceptable to broadcast. Rules about bullying, violence, offence and vulnerability all apply to our trailer as our main character is a vulnerable, young girl so it is important that this character would not influence a young audience or the events in the trailer would not condone or support violence, alcoholism or bullying. Representation of stereotypes is also vital as this is a strong theme in our film as we are playing upon common ideologies of modern British society, so it is key that the representations of stereotypes in our film are not overly offensive, humiliating or misleading.

Scenes of violence will need to be addressed especially as we can not show violence in a supportive or positive way. As the use of violence in the trailer will be to show Erin's transition from a quiet and vulnerable school girl to a violent gang member, it does not show it in a positive way. The use of violence is explained as Erin's way of controlling her life and gaining the attention she always craved after a neglectful, abusive and isolated childhood. Erin's mother being an alcoholic in the film offers an explanation as to why Erin changes and alcoholism will not be positively represented in our trailer as her mother is shown to be a bitter and aggressive person, highlighting the negative aspects of alcohol.

Erin's vulnerable and lonely character must not be seen to do anything that would influence a young audience, for example go off with any strangers so we need to be careful when representing her at the beginning of the trailer as she is young and naive. Her transition to a violent gang member must not be shown in a positive light or to give an audience any excuse to act in the same way, so the well being of a young and influential teenage audience must be considered. Scenes such as Erin smashing her mother's bottles of alcohol onto the kitchen floor highlight the consideration of health and safety for our audience, as well as the general use of alcohol within our trailer.

The trailer cannot contain highly offensive scenes as trailers are generally played throughout the day on television before the watershed so swearing or overly-violent scenes cannot be featured. All the scenes in our trailer that involve bullying, taunting or violence will be ensured to not represent them in a positive way at all, but they are used as an explanation as to why Erin changes and what happens to her after she changes. They are used for dramatic effect and they have explanations for each scene so mindless violence or aggression is not shown without a reason.

6.1 Offence
Advertisements must not cause serious or widespread offence against
generally accepted moral, social or cultural standards, or offend against public
feeling
Notes:
(1) Although no list can be exhaustive, and values evolve over time, society
has shared standards in areas such as:
(a) the portrayal of death, injury, violence (particularly sexual violence),
cruelty or misfortune
(b) respect for the interests and dignity of minorities
(c) respect for spiritual beliefs, rites, sacred images etc
(d) sex and nudity, and the use of offensive language. (For further
information see the ITC research reports Nudity in Television Advertising and
the ASA/ITC report Delete Expletives. The latter reports on attitudes to
swearing and offensive language.)
(2) The ASA does not judge cases simply, or even primarily, on the number of
complaints received. It makes judgements about the likelihood of widespread
offence as well as taking into account the possibility of deep, usually
unintentional, offence to sections of the audience which have particular
vulnerabilities.
(3) Particular circumstances can result in otherwise unobjectionable material
causing offence. For example, a joke may cease to be acceptable if it seems
to refer to a recent tragedy or if it appears close to a programme about a
serious, related issue. On the other hand, if material might be on the edge of
acceptability for a general audience but would be perfectly acceptable to, for
example, young adults, careful scheduling in ‘youth’ programmes may be
sufficient to avoid causing offence.
(4) Whilst commercials for media products such as CDs and videos must not
mislead about their content, any extracts from the products should not cause
offence.

6.2 Violence and cruelty
(a) Advertisements must not encourage or condone violence or cruelty
(b) Gratuitous and realistic portrayals of cruel or irresponsible treatment of
people or animals are not acceptable
Notes to 6.2:
(1) Careful judgements are needed in this area. ‘Theatrical’ violence (for
example, the mayhem common in action/adventure films) is generally
acceptable, as is violence which has a stylised ‘cartoon’ or slapstick quality.
Problems are more likely to arise where the violence seems to take place in
everyday life and to involve ordinary people. However, care should be taken
to avoid giving young viewers the impression that copying wrestling, martial
arts etc would be safe, harmless fun.
(2) Advertisements must not appear to condone people using violence or
aggression to get their own way in everyday life.
(3) Jokes about or involving violence require care and will usually need to be
distanced from everyday life by being, for example, in cartoon form.
(4) Scenes which would otherwise be inappropriate may be acceptable to the
audience in, for example, charity advertising or newsreel footage in
advertisements for news media.
(5) Timing restrictions are necessary for advertising featuring violence. See
7.4.6 (Distress) and 7.4.7 (Scheduling) below


6.6 Harmful or negative stereotypes
Advertisements must not prejudice respect for human dignity or humiliate,
stigmatise or undermine the standing of identifiable groups of people
Notes:
(1) The ASA and BCAP recognise that the use of stereotypes is an inevitable
part of establishing characters within the brief span of a TV commercial. But
some stereotypes can be harmful or deeply insulting to the groups in question
and care is needed that they do not condone or feed prejudice or perpetuate
damaging misconceptions. The ASA and BCAP would not, however, object to
the use of stereotypes which, though objectionable to a few people, seem
generally acceptable to most members of the group in question as well as to
the broader public.
(2) Mild comments or humour about many characteristics can be harmless but
sensitivity is always needed. Acceptability may depend on whether the
characteristic is simply a matter of personal choice and whether it is of
relatively minor significance. For example, hairstyles or hobbies lie at the
‘safer’ end of the spectrum whilst characteristics such as accent, disability,
nationality and skin colour are at or towards the ‘sensitive’ end. Even gentle
humour involving the latter characteristics has significant potential for offence
or distress.
(3) Anything which could encourage or condone the idea that some serious
negative characteristic is associated with a particular group must be avoided.
(4) Particular sensitivity is required where the group in question is generally
recognised to encounter prejudice. The kind of humour which may be
acceptable in other contexts can seem patronising or demeaning in these
cases.
(5) Care is needed with stereotypes of children to avoid the risk of taunting or
bullying. Children who are ‘different’ physically or in their behaviour, ability or
background must not be presented as unpopular or unsuccessful. Nor should
they normally be presented as non-users of a product or service or unworthy
of it. Even if an advertisement portrays only adults being stereotyped, an illjudged
stereotype could still be harmful to children (for example, by
encouraging bullying).
(6) Experience has shown that well-meaning attempts by commercial
advertisers to counter prejudice about, for example, race or disability can
sometimes backfire. Appropriate guidance should be sought.
(7) Further background about public attitudes to stereotyping can be found in
the ITC research report Boxed In.


6.7 Health and safety
Advertisements must not encourage or condone behaviour prejudicial to
health and safety and advertisements must not use techniques that may
directly harm viewers
Notes:
(1) This does not prevent responsible advertising for products and services
which, used to excess or abused, could endanger health or safety.
(2) The use of proper safety equipment or working practices must not be
mocked or discouraged.
(3) Tools, hazardous substances etc should normally be shown being used
and stored in accordance with their manufacturers’ instructions, relevant law
and safety regulations.
(4) Where appropriate, licensees should seek appropriate ‘best practice’
advice relating to activities which can be dangerous, either in all
circumstances or if undertaken without proper precautions. Relevant sources
might be the codes of statutory bodies, statements of established public policy
or published guidance from recognised independent safety organisations.
(5) Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy: See Ofcom’s Guidance Note for Licensees on
Flashing Images and Regular Patterns in Television.

7.4.3 Bullying
Advertisements must not encourage or condone bullying
Notes:
(1) Except in appropriate charity or public service advertising, advertisements
should not normally show scenes of bullying, taunting or teasing, or of children
being ostracised or criticised behind their backs.
(2) Care is needed with stereotypes of children to avoid the risk of bullying.
Children who are ‘different’ physically or in behaviour, ability or background
must not be presented as unpopular or unsuccessful. Nor should they
normally be presented as non-users of a product or service or unworthy of it.
However, even if an advertisement portrays only adults being stereotyped, an
ill-judged stereotype could still be harmful to children (for example, by
encouraging bullying).

7.4.4 Vulnerability
Advertisements must neither encourage children to go off alone or with
strangers nor show them doing so