Taste & Decency

"What are the rules on Taste & Decency?
The advertising codes state that advertisements should contain nothing that is likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

The codes also require that special care is taken to avoid causing offence on the grounds of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or disability.

When the ASA council decides wether an ad complies with the codes it will judge on the context, medium, audience, product and prevailing standards of decency." ASA Educational Pdf File.

These codes keep what adverts are seen by the general public in order, so that they don't offend the majority of people that would be viewing them. They also make sure that social boundries are not crossed, and don't influence people to judge according to social stereotypes.

Social Responsibility

These codes ensure that viewers will not be harmed mentally, or encouraged to do irrisponsible things.
These include:
Advertising a product that makes children feel inferior unless they have it, making them pester their parent or guardian until they get the product. Or any sort of advertising that could harm a childs perception of morals.
Material that could be found shocking to certain viewers, such as disturbing images.
Scenes that encourage irisponsibility and unsafe behavior.
Advertising products which could be hazardous to peoples health, or falsly misleading people to think the product is something which it isn't.

Children and Advertising

As said above, you cannot encourage children to pester their guardians for the advertised product.
You cannot show other children in dangerous situations, which children may try to copy.
Having an advertising ploy aimed at making children feel inferior if they don't have your product.
Aiming adverts for sugar products such as cereals, chocolate or soft drinks at children.
No images of children in any sexual way, including dressed up, in makeup etc.