New Advertising Rules Come Into Effect From Today
Following extensive consultation and industry training, two new Codes are now in force for advertising targeting New Zealanders.
Food and Beverage Advertising Code
- Replaces the existing provisions in the Advertising Standards Code
- The new Food and Beverage Code extends consumer protections, ensuring a high standard of social responsibility to all consumers
- The Code strengthens rules around Occasional Food and Beverage products, preventing targeting of these products to children, and restricting product and brand sponsorship advertisements
Children’s Advertising Code
- The Code replaces the previous Children and Young People's Advertising Code
- Extends the ASA's definition of a child to under 16
- Expands the definition of advertising targeting children
- Ensures ads targeted at children do not encourage unsafe practices, promote bullying, encourage peer pressure or unhealthy body images, or include content that is not age-appropriate for children
Advertising Standards Code
- The existing Advertising Standards Code has been updated to remove Rule 1(h) Health and Wellbeing, and Rule 2(g) Food and Beverage Claims. These rules are now covered in the new Food and Beverage Code
The new Codes apply to advertising in all media. To support industry compliance, a range of resources have been developed and are available on the ASA website.
- View industry education resources on the ASA website: https://www.asa.co.nz/2024/04/30/new-code-resources/
- Download a PDF of the Children's Advertising Code: https://cdn.asa.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ASA-Childrens-Advertising-Code-April-2024.pdf
- Download a PDF of the Food and Beverage Advertising Code: https://cdn.asa.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ASA-Food-and-Beverage-Advertising-Code-April-2024.pdf
- Download a PDF of the updated Advertising Standards Code: https://cdn.asa.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Advertising-Standards-Code-1-November-2024.pdf
- Download a PDF of the report on the new Codes: https://cdn.asa.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Children-And-Young-Peoples-Code-Review-Codes-Committee-Report-April-2024.pdf
About the ASA
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) is the industry regulator for advertising in New Zealand and works to ensure that every ad is a responsible ad.