How Ads are Screened

1. ASC Ad Specialist assesses the documents you attached to the S-1 form and submits the application to the Professional Screener.

ASC Professional Screeners are seasoned marketing and advertising practitioners and are hired because of their extensive experience and wisdom.

2. You must be present to answer possible clarifications from the Professional Screener. Personal presentation to the Professional Screener is encouraged and can be accommodated from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

3. The Professional Screener thoroughly reviews your material/s and the supporting documents submitted to substantiate the claims, copy, audio, special effects, visuals, or any part or content used in the material.

4. The Professional Screener renders one of the following decisions:

a. Approved for Production
This is given to a material when copy and visual claims are adequately substantiated. With this approval, you may proceed to actual production, recording, printing. Storyboards/script/print lay-out wil
be stamped with the ASC’s “Approved for Production” and duly signed by the Professional Screener who approved it.

b. Approved for Production, with Caution
This is given to a material when copy and visual claims are adequately substantiated but a specific visual, copy, claim or its tone/mood/theme is sensitive and potentially controversial in nature. The material may proceed to actual production, recording or printing but a reminder on care and sensitivity in the execution of the material is given.
Final approval is determined upon review of the produced material. Should the Professional Screener deem that the specific execution and/or elements violate the ASC Standards of Advertising, the material will be disapproved.

c. Disapproved
This is given to a material containing copy, claim, visual or elements that are clearly violative of ASC Standards of Advertising. The material is therefore denied permission to proceed to production, unless the violative elements are addressed by the Advertiser/Ad Agency. In such instances, you may:

  • Revise the copy, visual or element in question on-the-spot and during the screening. If the Professional Screener accepts and is satisfied by the revisions and there are no more concerns/questions on the material, the storyboard/script/lay-out will be given Approval for Production.
  • Request for the same material to be elevated to a Screening Panel which will review only the disapproved claims, copy, slogan, visual or element. This is tantamount to an appeal, thus, you need to pay the Screening Panel Contribution Fee required for Screening Panel review prior to the schedule of the appeal session to the Screening Panel.

d.Refer to Panel
This is given when the Professional Screener deems that the content of the ad requires a Screening Panel’s review, such as, but not limited to the following conditions:

  • When subject or execution deals with sex, sexy themes or innuendo, violence or morbidity and other sensitive themes.
  • When claims require further or complex technical substantiation from independent sources or a third party, especially ads of product categories or services that deal with technology and health.
  • When claims are on exclusivity and superiority.
  • When claims may tend to disparage another brand, product, service, category or Company, whether directly competitive or not.

Once your material is referred to the Screening Panel, the Panel has the prerogative to raise issues or question copy, claim, elements in the material outside those submitted by the Professional Screeners.

e. Incomplete
This means your ad application is Approved for Production but Clearance to Air shall be subject to submission of pre-requisite government agency approvals, e.g. BFAD CPR (or its equivalent), DOLE permit, DTI permit, BSP Approval, CAB Clearance, NHI Clearance, etc.

This is given only when pre-requisite documents of the material are not available at the time of screening by a Professional Screener. These documents however must be submitted within ten (10) calendar days from the date of the application. At the end of the tenth calendar day, the INCOMPLETE application shall automatically be a DISAPPROVED decision, without further notice to the advertiser/ad agency. The list of these pre-requisite documents is in Annex 2 of the ASC Manual of Procedures.

5. You will receive a printed copy of the Professional Screener’s Decision Form from the Ad Specialist. You may request for particulars if the statement of concerns is vague.