According to a circular submitted to marketers by the ASA, "the Code of Advertising Practice is reviewed and updated annually to keep pace with societal change. The ASA believes it is essential to give marketers the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes for 2006."
The proposed changes to the code can be downloaded here and are also available at www.asasa.org.za.
Another issue that needs to be attended to is the marketing of "energy dense food" to children: the South African Medical Research Council is calling for a ban on food advertising aimed at children, in keeping with the recommendations of the International Chamber of Commerce and the European Advertising Standards Alliance.
"However, with the demise of the MFSA, marketers in South Africa lost not only their voice, but also their body which represents their views and protects their interests," writes ASA executive director Deline Beukes in the circular. "Marketers play a pivotal role in advertising self-regulation and we trust that marketers will soon establish a strong representative body to guard their interests."
To view the complete circular, which details the issue of advertising certain foods to children, click here.
