Ad Standards Council (ASC) approves guidelines for the screening of advertising materials with sexy tones, partial nudity, violence, or similar execution.

The ASC Board of Directors in its Special Board Meeting held last July 15, 2011 has approves the guidelines for the screening of advertising materials with exposure of human body/parts, sexy tones, similar subject or execution which will take effect immediately.

Technical Guidelines for the Screening of Advertising Materials with Exposure of Human Body/Parts, Sexy Tones, Similar Subject or Execution

The primordial principle is that advertisements should not be offensive to the public based on current and/or nationally-accepted standards of decency.

As a general rule, the application of the rule should be stricter for advertising in media of general viewership or circulation (i.e television, cinema ad, general circulation newspapers/magazines, and OOH) because the spectrum of people sees the media. The application of this rule should be moderated for media catering specific or specialized audiences (e.g. lingerie ads in women’s magazines, men’s undergarments in men’s magazines, etc.)

1. Obscene advertisements are not allowed. An advertising material is obscene when the pose, facial expression, situation, situation, props, copy and/or other aspects of the presentation are suggestive or vulgar, or sexually suggestive.
2. Models shown or simulating sexual intercourse, even if fully clothed, shall not be allowed.
3. Obscene, profane, blasphemous and sexually suggestive copy is not allowed.
4. The depiction of violence and use of threatening or meaning copy is not allowed.
5. Total nudity whether explicit or implied is not allowed. However, an infant without clothes can be allowed as long as genital areas are not shown and must not be derogatory to the child.
6. Advertisements showing partially nude model(s) are not allowed when the mode(s) is:
   • Attired id indecent skimpy clothing
   • Attired is transparent material or when presented in a haze to circumvent the prohibition on nudity.
   • Attired in clothing that shows excessive voluptuousness (e.g. indecent breast exposures, buttocks, and bulging crotch)
   • In a suggestive sexual/physical contact with each other.
7. Advertisements for Out-of-Home (OOH) with models must be appropriate for young audiences and shall be wholesome. As OOH is accessible to the general public and exposed 24/7, more prudence must be exercised in the screening of OOH advertising materials.