ASC Testimonial Provision Amendment

The ASC Board of Director in its Regular Board Meeting held last November 8, 2012 approved the recommendation of the TechCom on the amendment of the Testimonial provision which will be effective starting February 15, 2013.

The ASC Techcom in its effort to continuously respond to the Industry’s needs , has recommended to the 2012 Board to delete the Testimonial Provision that is in reference to the prescription period of talents/ models or commercial endorsers. The said provision states as follows:

Section 5, item m.: “Advertisements shall not contain or feature testimonials/endorsements of models/endorsers which contradict/dispute previous competitive endorsements or make direct reference to previously endorsed competitive brands by the same models/endorsers, within a period of fifteen (15) months from the last airing or publication of broadcast/print advertisements of said competitive brands containing the competitive endorsements.”

The TechCom believes that this provision does not affect the core responsibility of the ASC i.e. ad content regulation hence it was recommended to be stricken out from the ASC Code of Ethics. The Code adequately provides specific provisions should the endorsers/models/talents copy claims or statements contradict their previous endorsements.

Upon further evaluation, the Board determined that the said provision is a trade concern which is specific to advertiser-talent agent direct contract negotiation.

In this regard, said provision will no longer be part of the ASC Code of Ethics effective February 15, 2013.