Advertising Workbook

1. Explains who regulates TV advertising in the UK?
The Advertising Standards Authority is the UK's independent regulator of advertising across all media. 

2. Explain the process of how to complain about a TV advert which you thought was offensive in some way.
In order to make a complaint about a TV advert I will need to check whether my complaint is covered by the ASA. If it is covered I am able to submit my complaint online, contact them via telephone or write to them. They will then give me a name of a person who will handle my case they will be my point of contact. Complaints can be resolve quickly if the ad is a minor mistake which can be changed but if its not that simple then a formal investigation will have to be conducted which may take longer.

3.  Watch the controversial advert: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzcRSr6PW_o

4. Explain what happens in the video.
A set of celebrities have been hired to unite and send a message out to put an end to Famine. The explain clearly what it is and how it has affected many. A drought which has hit at its worst in more than 60 years, the celebrities express the fact that 30,000 children have died in just 3 month. At the start of the advert we see that all of them have been told to say famine but as they do say so it is censored to make look as if they are swearing as we can only hear the f word at the start.

5.Explain why was this advert banned?
The advert was banned because it was breaching rules covering political advertising. Other factors as to why it was banned could be the swearing which was said during the advert, now most people will not tolerate such language on their screens who will most definitely find it offensive. The intention is obviously to attract the viewer's attention to the fact that a famous celebrity could be about to utter an expletive. The word 'famine' is not crude or offensive. All in all swearing should not have been included.

6.Do you think the regulators were right to banned this advert. Back up argument with clear points.
In a way I do think it was right to ban the advert but also no. The reason being for saying both is because one its bad because the fact that swearing had been publicly advertised this being offensive to viewers especially if the viewers being a younger generation now we wouldn't any of our children to be hearing swearing off the television now do we? Even with the words being censored this is still setting a bad example. Second of all why I think it was not right to ban the advert as it also sends a powerful message across to people about famine and how serious it has gotten and will get if action is not taken. With the use of celebrities this attracts even more viewers and builds a interest towards the topic meaning more help to reduce famine.

7. Summarize your main points.
In conclusion I think that if advertising companies/agencies were to pay celebrities a huge amount of money then they should at least make it less offensive for viewers to watch there's always other ways to get a point or message across but use of swearing is completely unacceptable this could lead to a loss of fans and the company losing out.