UK advertising regulator the ASA has published its latest report on children’s exposure to TV ads for alcohol and gambling, providing exposure figures for 2019.
The UK advertising rules contain scheduling restrictions designed to reduce significantly under-18s’ exposure to ads for age-restricted product categories such as alcohol and gambling. Reflecting that, reporting on exposure data forms part of the ASA’s ongoing commitment to making sure the rules are working effectively to protect children, and young and vulnerable people.
The report reveals a further decline in children’s exposure to all TV ads which is likely to be driven by a decrease in TV viewing amongst children. But it also suggests that children’s exposure to TV ads for alcohol is falling at a faster rate than their exposure to all TV ads. Meanwhile, children’s exposure to gambling advertising on TV has returned to similar levels observed at the beginning of the analysis period (2008).
Further analysis of the TV alcohol advertising exposure data shows that:
The exposure data on TV gambling ads shows that:
Although the findings suggest the TV ad rules are continuing to help appropriately limit children’s exposure to age-restricted ads, the ASA is mindful of children’s shifting media consumption habits – likely to be driven by their increasing consumption of online media, such as on-demand and online video use, as well as social media engagement – and the need to remain vigilant in policing ads for age-restricted products in other media, in particular online. In parallel the ASA has been harnessing new technology to proactively monitor children’s exposure to ads online and taking quick and effective action where it identifies any problems.
“Our latest report shows that children’s exposure to TV ads for alcohol and gambling products remains low,” noted ASA Chief Executive, Guy Parker. “We will continue our proactive monitoring to make sure this remains the case for TV ads as well as carrying out further monitoring online so that we limit children’s exposure to age-restricted ads wherever they appear.”
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