Home Our Standards Manual of Procedures General Rules Materials Covered by the ASC Code of Ethics and Manual of Procedures

General Standards

Materials Covered by the ASC Code of Ethics and Manual of Procedures

A pdf version of the code can be downloaded here

ASC_Guidebook

Jump to a section of the page

Section 3. Materials Covered by the ASC Code of Ethics and Manual of Procedures
Section 3. Materials Covered by the ASC Code of Ethics and Manual of Procedures Broadcast Materials Cinema Ads Print Ads Out-Of-Home (OOH) Ads Shopper Marketing Internet, Digital, and Mobile Ads Subject to Pre-Screening

Section 3. Materials Covered by the ASC Code of Ethics and Manual of Procedures

Definition of Advertisement

  • “Advertisement” means the form through which the advertising information is disseminated, which includes but is not limited to print, broadcast, cinema, out-of-home, merchandising materials, digital, and mobile ads. Advertisements, whether foreign-produced or canned, locally-produced, station-produced, branded, corporate or organizational, national, local, advocacy-related, are covered by the ASC Rules.
  • “Advertising” means dissemination of information or messages for a business purpose, usually intended to promote commercial transactions, or to enhance a general standing of an entity or business in the marketplace or the community.

The following criteria shall, likewise, determine if a material is an advertisement:

  • If advertising claims are made
  • If airing time, publication, display, posting, or feature of the material has been paid for, whether in cash or in kind, or as part of a total package resulting from the Ad Agency’s/ Advertiser’s transaction, regardless of time or frequency of airing/ publication/ display/ posting.

A claim on a pack or label, when prominently readable or specifically highlighted in an advertisement, shall be deemed as part of the advertisement, and thus shall be covered by the ASC Rules.

Types of Advertisements, Examples, or Definitions

Broadcast Materials are ads that are shown or aired on television, whether free-to-air, cable or subscription TV, or radio, whether national or local, such as:

    • TVCs and RCs, including edit-downs, edit-ups, translations, infomercials, tele-marketing, and other similar advertisements
    • Interstitials, TV buys such as sponsorships, segments or portion buys, casual plugs, time checks, and similar ads, whether live or pre-taped/pre-recorded
    • TV and Radio Announcer-on-Board (AOBs), OBB/ CBBs, End Tags, whether or not direct lifts of previously-approved materials
    • Jingles, branded songs including edits, translations
    • TV and radio time checks, teasers, countdowns, and similar materials
    • Local ads of products, brands, or services, manufactured, sold, distributed, or offered within a limited geographical area such as a province, city or town, and outside of Mega Manila are generally post-screened.

Exceptions to post-screening of local ads are ads of the following categories:

    • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Home Remedy (HR) Products
    •  Food/Dietary Supplements
    • Alcohol Beverages

Local ads of products in the above-mentioned categories require pre-screening by the ASC prior to airing, publication, display, posting, or uploading.

Cinema Ads are those for airing or exhibition in indoor or outdoor theaters. Cinema ads are treated like broadcast materials when dealing with CDOs and other sanctions.

Print Ads are those that are published in broadsheets, tabloids, magazines, journals, and other printed publications, whether national or local in circulation, such as:

  1. Regular or creative print advertisements, e.g., false covers, ear ads, foot ads, band ads, etc.
  2. Supplements, advertorials, press releases, and the like

 

Generally, print advertisements are post-screened. However, ASC clearance is needed for print ads that have any of the following themes or classifications:

 

Mandatory Categories:

    • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Home Remedy (HR) products
    • Food/Dietary Supplements
    • Products, brands, services covered by the Milk Code, Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Milk Code
    • Alcohol Beverages in compliance with WHO directive and as agreed with alcohol beverage companies in 2010
    • Airlines and other transport services with promotional fares

With the Following Claims:

    • No. 1/Leadership claim
    • Exclusivity claim
    • Absolute claim
    • Comparative claim
    • Superiority claim

(See Glossary for definition)

With testimonial that includes specific claims regarding product or service performance that must be supported with independent evidence on the accuracy of, or consistent with, the actual product or service.

With direct/ brand-identified comparison on categories where such comparison is allowed:

    • Automotive Vehicles excluding Automotive Products
    • Consumer durables like Appliances, Audio-Visual Equipment, Electronic Gadgets
    • Airline and Shipping Lines
    • Musical instruments, Entertainment
    • Mobile products like Cellular handsets, Tablets,Laptops, and Netbooks

With sexy tones, exposure of human body/ parts, similar subjects, or executions

With tones of violence or similar subject or execution such as, but are not limited to, explosives and other dangerous products

Inclusion of ASC Reference Code is mandatory for print ads/materials.

Out-Of-Home (OOH) Ads are essentially all types of advertising that intend to reach the consumer while he or she is outside the home. This is in contrast to broadcast, print, or digital advertising, which may be delivered to viewers out of home, e.g., via tradeshow, newsstand, hotel lobby room, but are usually intended for home or office viewing.

All OOH materials are subject to pre-screening because of the nature of the medium, as it is exposed 24/7 to all audience types, including minors.

  • Billboards, the most common type of OOH, include photographic and electronic billboards, digital displays, whether installed outside or indoor, e.g., malls, shopping centers.
  • OOH ads include transit ads, street furniture/ fixture, e.g., sheds, walkways, garbage bins, street signs, lamp posts, lighted ad signage, blimp ads, etc., street marketing, demos, etc. There is no limit to shape and size of out-of-home advertising media.

Screening of all Out-of-Home materials is mandatory prior to production (S1) AND securing of Clearance to Display (S2) is required prior to installation/display.

Exceptions are OOH materials in item b. such as store signage or building signs which do not contain claims and materials that contain ONLY brand or corporate names as these are generally used in special events and have a limited period of exposure and audience.

 Inclusion of ASC Reference Code is mandatory for all Out-of-Home ads.

Shopper Marketing/In-Store/Collateral Materials are those in retail trade, malls, restaurants, hotels, and other public channels such as Point-of-Sale (POS) or Point-of-Purchase (POPs) materials, product demos/spiels, in-store audio-visual broadcast, and similar on-premise materials.

Examples include, but are not limited to banners, streamers, posters, shelf talkers, wobblers, tent cards, price cards, flyers, headers, inserts, brochures, and other in-store or on-premise materials that are directed to consumers and/or the general public.

Generally, Shopper Marketing/ In-Store/ Collateral Materials  are post-screened.

However, ASC clearance is mandatory for Shopper Marketing/ In-Store/ Collateral Materials ads that have any of the following themes or classifications:

Mandatory Categories:

    • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Home Remedy (HR) products
    • Food/Dietary Supplements
    • Products, brands, services covered by the Milk Code, Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Milk Code
    • Alcohol Beverages in compliance with WHO directive and as agreed with alcohol beverage companies in 2010
    • Airlines and other transport services with promotional fares

With the Following Claims:

    • No.1/Leadership claim
    • Exclusivity claim
    • Absolute claim
    • Comparative claim
    • Superiority claim

(See Glossary for definition)

With testimonial that includes specific claims regarding product or service performance that must be supported with independent evidence on the accuracy of, or consistent with, the actual product or service

With direct/ brand-identified comparison on categories where such comparison is allowed:

    • Automotive Vehicles excluding Automotive Products
    • Consumer durables like Appliances, Audio-Visual Equipment, Electronic Gadgets, etc.
    • Airline and Shipping Lines
    • Musical instruments, Entertainment
    • Mobile products like Cellular handsets, Tablets, Laptops, and Netbooks

With sexy tones, exposure of human body/ parts, similar subject or execution

With tones of violence or similar subject or execution such as, but are not limited to, explosives and other dangerous products

The ASC Reference Code is NOT required to be printed on Shopper Marketing/In Store/Collateral materials.

Internet, Digital, and Mobile Ads

Internet/Digital, and Mobile ads which include, but are not limited to, SMS, MMS, e-blast, opt in/opt out, digital video, static ads, ads in corporate websites, etc., are covered by the rules.  However, corporate websites, per se, are not included.

Generally, Internet/Digital, and Mobile ads are post-screened.

However, ASC clearance is mandatory for Internet, Digital, and Mobile ads that have any of the following themes or classifications and are posted in company/marketer-owned and marketer-related digital sites or as paid placements in other sites:

Mandatory Categories:

    • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Home Remedy (HR) products
    • Food/Dietary Supplements
    • Products, brands, services covered by the Milk Code, Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Milk Code
    • Alcohol Beverages in compliance with WHO directive and as agreed with alcohol beverage companies in 2010
    • Airlines and other transport services with promotional fares

Refer to Annex 8 of the Code of Ethics (Digital Guidelines) for some pre-screening exemptions of Mandatory Categories.

With the Following Claims:

    • No. 1/ Leadership claim
    • Exclusivity claim
    • Absolute claim
    • Comparative claim
    • Superiority claim

(See Glossary for definition)

With testimonial that includes specific claims regarding product or service performance that must be supported with independent evidence on the accuracy of, or consistent with, the actual product or service

With direct/ brand-identified comparison on categories where such comparison is allowed:

    • Automotive Vehicles excluding Automotive Products
    • Consumer durables like Appliances, Audio-Visual Equipment, Electronic Gadgets
    • Airline and Shipping Lines
    • Musical instruments, Entertainment
    • Mobile products like Cellular handsets, Tablets, Laptops, and Netbooks

With sexy tones, exposure of human body/ parts, similar subject or execution

With tones of violence or similar subject or execution such as, but are not limited to, explosives and other dangerous products

Refer to Article X of the ASC Code of Ethics, Digital Marketing, for a detailed listing of the different types of digital ad materials.

Also refer to Annex 8 of the Code of Ethics for Digital Guidelines on Pre-Screening & Post-Screening of Non-Regulated & Regulated Categories.

Inclusion of ASC Reference Code is mandatory in digital ads/materials, either on the material or caption, where applicable.

To reiterate, all ads with the following themes or classification shall be subject to pre-screening. Thus, print ads, merchandising materials, and internet/digital/mobile ads which are generally post-screened, are required to be pre-screened if they have the following themes or classifications:

Mandatory Categories:

    • Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs and Home Remedy (HR) products
    • Food/Dietary Supplements
    • Products, brands, services covered by the Milk Code, Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Milk Code
    • Alcohol Beverages in compliance with WHO directive and as agreed with alcohol beverage companies in 2010
    • Airlines and other transport services with promotional fares

Refer to Annex 8 of the Code of Ethics (Digital Guidelines) for some pre-screening exemptions of Mandatory Categories.

With the Following Claims:

    • No. 1/ Leadership claim
    • Exclusivity claim
    • Absolute claim
    • Comparative claim
    • Superiority claim

(See Glossary for definition)

With testimonial that includes specific claims regarding product or service performance that must be supported with independent evidence on the accuracy of, or consistent with, the actual product or service.

With direct/brand-identified comparison on categories where such comparison is allowed:

    • Automotive Vehicles excluding Automotive Products
    • Consumer durables like Appliances, Audio-Visual Equipment, Electronic Gadgets
    • Airline and Shipping Lines
    • Musical instruments, Entertainment
    • Mobile products like Cellular handsets, Tablets, Laptops, and Netbooks

With sexy tones, exposure of human body/ parts, similar subjects, or executions

With tones of violence or similar subject or execution such as, but are not limited to, explosives and other dangerous products

 An ASC approval is exclusive to the medium as applied for and approved. However, the same/exact TVC may be uploaded on digital media provided the ASC Reference Code is included. The validity period of the digital material will be the same as that of the original TV material.