1 October marked International Day for Older Persons 2021.
Although the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) receives a small number of complaints about depictions of older people in advertising, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) Code recognises the impact of harm and offence caused on the grounds of age. Code rule 4.1 states that ads must not contain anything which is likely to cause serious or widespread offence, and highlights ‘age’ as one specific characteristic where particular care should be taken.
As with any challenge under rule 4.1, the ASA will take account of the tone, content and context of an ad when determining whether the rule has been broken. An ad for electronic cigarettes was considered offensive because it implied that a relationship between an older woman and a young man was a socially unacceptable and inappropriate “taboo, and therefore judged that it was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.
It goes without saying that marketers should not mock, humiliate or degrade older people. Gentle, tongue-in-cheek humour may however be acceptable, depending on the wider context, and light-hearted wordplays, in a context that portrays older people in a positive manner, seem likely to be considered acceptable.
It’s important that advertisers are able to recognise and celebrate the contribution of older persons to society, both in their lifetime and their achievements today. However, advertisers looking to market their products to this demographic, and indeed more generally, should do so responsibly and be mindful of avoiding causing harm or serious or widespread offence on the grounds of age.
Source: CAP
About us
LS Consultancy are experts in Marketing and Compliance, and work with a range of firms to assist with improving their documents, processes and systems to mitigate any risk.
We provide a cost-effective and timely bespoke copy advice and copy development services to make sure all your advertising and campaigns are compliant, clear and suitable for their purpose.
Our range of innovative solutions can be tailored to suit your unique requirements, no matter whether you’re currently working from home, or are continuing to go into the office. Our services can be deployed individually or combined to form a broader solution to release your energies and focus on your clients.
Contact us today for a chat or send us an email to find out how we can support you in meeting your current and future challenges with confidence.
Contact us
Why Not Download our FREE Brochures! Click here.
Call Us Today on 020 8087 2377 or send us an email.
We welcome individual bloggers / Professional Writers / Freelancers to submit high quality contents. Find out more…
You can see our Google reviews here.