ASC Participates in Industry Launch of Initiatives Regarding Children’s Advertising

New Social Marketing Campaign and Advertising Commitment Focused on Healthy Active Living

The advertising industry recognizes the special characteristics and needs of the child audience. It also recognizes it plays an important role in helping children learn to make wise nutrition and healthy living choices.

ASC is pleased to participate in a collaborative effort among ASC, Concerned Children’s Advertisers, Food & Consumer Products of Canada and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to proactively address the behaviours that lead to childhood obesity – a critical issue in Canadian society today.

• ASC has strengthened the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards with the addition of new Interpretation Guidelines that encompass healthy child development and appropriate food and beverage consumption.
• The Canadian Association of Broadcasters, in cooperation with ASC, has strengthened the Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children with the addition of new Interpretation Guidelines that encompass healthy child development and appropriate food and beverage consumption.
• Under the new Canadian Children’s Food & Beverage Advertising Initiative, 15 leading Canadian food and beverage companies will devote at least 50 per cent of their ads directed to children under 12 toward the promotion of healthy dietary choices and/or healthy active living messages. To ensure transparency and accountability, ASC has been asked to administer the process. ASC will publish the commitments made by the participating companies, audit their compliance and publicly report on the results on an annual basis. Click here to read more about this initiative.
• As part of their Long Live Kids program, Concerned Children’s Advertisers has launched two new public service announcements for television.