Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services

Transcription

1

2 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services CONTENTS 1. Introduction 3 2. Principles for Advertising and Sponsorship relationships 6 3. Advertising relationships Sponsorship relationships Content aimed at children Joint Promotions (for BBC publications and websites) Categories of advertiser or sponsor with specific restrictions or referrals Index 64 version 3.0, published February 2013 Front cover image: Broadcasting House, London BBC 2

3 February INTRODUCTION Advertising and sponsorship are important to any commercial service. If executed well, they provide funding and can enhance a consumer s experience by adding to the editorial proposition. However, if executed badly, it can be a reputational risk and cause future commercial relationships to be put in jeopardy. To protect the BBC s global reputation and ensure our editorial integrity and independence is maintained, these guidelines have been written. They set out the types of advertising and sponsorship relationships that are acceptable around the BBC brand. The guidelines have been approved by the BBC Editorial Standards Board. They supersede all previous advertising and sponsorship guidelines. The guidelines apply to all BBC commercial services and ventures, including: television those BBC commercial services which are licensed, in Europe, by Ofcom as well as licensed services in other territories across the world. It also includes UK-based joint ventures channels under the BBC s editorial control (such as those operated by UKTV). radio those BBC radio services across the world which take commercial revenue such as spot advertising. "On Demand Programme Services" these are 'TV-like' services delivering video on demand and made available to members of the public, such as the Global BBC iplayer. on-line BBC commercial service on-line that contain commercial activity such as sponsorship and advertising. This includes both text and audiovisual content. magazines (including titles published through joint ventures and under licence, both in the UK and internationally). syndicated content, such as a BBC branded channel on YouTube. These guidelines apply in addition to the relevant advertising regulations of a territory (such as the Advertising Standards Authority CAP and BCAP codes in the UK). The guidelines should be applied in the spirit as well as the letter. That means that commonsense should be applied. A strict legal interpretation should not be used to justify accepting an advertiser or sponsor which the guidelines intended to stop. Similarly, an 3

4 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services unreasonable interpretation should not be used to prohibit something which is clearly in line with the intention of the guidelines. Additional guidance on interpretation and referral is included in blue boxes. This additional guidance has been produced by BBC Editorial Policy in consultation with BBC Worldwide and BBC Global News. Operational Guidance may also be provided by the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian for a particular service. This Operational Guidance must be agreed with BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. Any proposal to step outside these guidelines must be referred in advance to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. In either case they will consult Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. 1.1 COMPLIANCE PROCESS AND REFERRALS The primary responsibility for ensuring advertising and sponsorship complies with these guidelines, and other regulations, rests with business areas. Each business has a designated member of editorial staff who takes particular responsibility for ensuring content complies with these guidelines. They are referred to as the Advertising Standards Guardian (or ASG). Details of the ASG for each business can be found on Gateway (or W:SPACE). The ASG is responsible for ensuring a documented compliance record is kept for all advertising and sponsorship and that a record is kept of all the referrals and approvals made within the business. They are also responsible for ensuring that the Editorial Compliance process detailed in section of the BBC Editorial Guidelines is followed by their business; that is that someone must watch or look at every advertisement before it is broadcast or published. In the case of sponsorship, the ASG must approve all elements including the sponsorship arrangement and the sponsorship credit. If you are unsure, you should refer, in the first instance, to your ASG. The more important or contentious an issue, the higher the onward referral needs to be. Ultimately, Editorial Directors and Managing Directors take responsibility for all editorial decisions taken in their business. On certain issues there is a mandatory referral to your ASG. These are shown in bold. And in some cases the ASG will need to make an onward referral, either to their Editorial 4

5 February 2013 Director, to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News, or to BBC Editorial Policy. Referrals to your ASG which will require them to make onward referral are shown in bold in blue. All these referrals must be followed before the advertising is published or broadcast or any sponsorship relationship is entered into. But in some cases, noted in these guidelines, the referral must be followed before the advertising booking is accepted. Where you have to refer to your ASG, you should allow time for this to happen ahead of any deadlines; you should not expect approval immediately. However, all referrals should normally receive an initial response within one working day. Where this does not happen, you should escalate the matter to your Editorial Director. For all BBC Worldwide businesses, the designation of ASG and Editorial Director must be approved by BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy. The Advertising Standards Guardian must agree the compliance framework for their service with BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. 1.2 ADVICE AND INTERPRETATION There are also a number of sources of advice, both within the business and outside: for BBC Worldwide businesses and joint-ventures, BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy can provide advice about these guidelines, as can your divisional Editorial Leader. for BBC Global News, the relevant Editorial Director can provide advice about these guidelines. For both areas, BBC Editorial Policy can provide further advice, although this should normally be sought through BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. Business and Legal Affairs can provide advice about the wider regulatory framework and what rules and regulations need to be followed in each territory. In addition, regulatory bodies often provide confidential non-binding advice services: for example, in the UK the Advertising Standards Authority can give advice on the interpretation of the CAP Code. 5

6 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 2. PRINCIPLES FOR ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP RELATIONSHIPS The following principles apply to all advertising and sponsorship arrangements (e.g. on television, radio, on-line and magazine): 2.1 LAWFUL All advertising and sponsorship arrangements must be legal. They must follow the relevant advertising and sponsorship regulations of the relevant territory as well as complying with these guidelines. Generally acceptable standards must be applied to the content of all advertising and sponsorship materials so as to provide adequate protection for members of the public from the inclusion of offensive and harmful material. Advertising must not be misleading, harmful or offensive. 6 In determining what is acceptable in a territory, consideration should be given to local market practice; the BBC should always seek to position itself at the top end of market best practice. In the UK, for magazines and websites, advertising must follow the Advertising Standards Authority CAP Code. Similarly for broadcast services holding a television broadcast licence from Ofcom, advertising must follow the ASA BCAP Code and both advertising and sponsorship must follow section 9 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, which relates to all sponsorship and commercial references. In the United States, as a general matter, advertising is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and must be truthful and not deceptive or unfair, and advertisers must have evidence to back-up any claims. Certain goods and service (such as food, prescription medication, cigarettes, alcohol, products aimed at children, consumer leases, credit, and products sold through mail order or telephone sales) are subject to other specific disclosure rules. In addition, each of the fifty individual states separately regulate advertising as a matter of consumer protection. In Australia, advertising is predominately regulated by the Competition and Consumer Act (Cth) 2012 which prohibits corporations from engaging in advertising that is either false, misleading and deceptive or likely to mislead and deceive. Certain goods and services (such as financial services, credit, real estate, pharmaceutical products, tobacco, alcohol and food) have additional regulation and disclosure requirements. There are also specific rules regarding the way in which goods or services can be marketed to consumer. For broadcast services holding a subscription broadcast licence from ACMA, advertising must follow the Advertising Code which forms part of the ASTRA Codes of Practice for Subscription Broadcast Television.

7 February THE REPUTATION OF THE BBC All advertising and sponsorship relationships must not jeopardise the good reputation of the BBC or the value of the BBC Brand. They should: be suitable for the target audience. meet consumer expectations of the BBC brand. not bring the BBC into disrepute. not give rise to doubts about the editorial integrity and independence or impartiality of the BBC or its programmes and content. To protect the BBC s reputation, the following categories of advertising are prohibited: a) political advertising 1 and advertising about controversial subjects. b) religious advertising. c) advertising for the occult. d) advertising for pornography and sexual services. e) advertising for tobacco products. f) advertising for weapons and gun clubs. These prohibitions apply in addition to any restrictions in place because of local regulations. Certain other categories of advertising need to be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian before they can be accepted for broadcast or publication. See section 7 for definition of the prohibited categories and details of other categories of advertiser which must be referred to your ASG. In particular, any advertising which deals with a controversial issue must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. See section 7.21 (Political advertising) for guidance on controversial issues. 1 In all markets, the BBC uses the definition of political advertising in s.321 of the Communications Act

8 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 2.3 EDITORIAL INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE The BBC must retain editorial control and responsibility for all editorial content. Editorial content must not be created solely to provide an opportunity for advertising or sponsorship to be sold; in some cases editorial content may be created to provide an opportunity for advertising or sponsorship to be sold but this content must fit with the overall editorial proposition and editorial standards of the service or publication. Advertising or sponsorship arrangements must not influence content in such a way to impair the responsibility and editorial independence of the BBC. 2.4 DISTINCTION All advertising must be clearly presented as commercial content, distinct from editorial content. Sponsorship credits must also be distinct from editorial content. It must not give the impression that it is editorial content or emulate BBC programmes or other BBC content. For details on Product Placement see Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services on Editorial Integrity and Independence from External Interests. Advertising should not appear in a similar style to the editorial content to which it is adjacent so that consumers can clearly distinguish between editorial content and advertising. Any advertising around a programme featuring the presenter of that programme should be clearly separated from the programme, for example, by a programme bumper. Similarly any advertising featuring an occasional contributor to a publication or website should be clearly separated from their editorial contributions. See section (Conflicts of Interest). 2.5 TRANSPARENCY The nature of the commercial relationship must always be transparent and clear to audiences. It must be clear to the audience when they are seeing a commercial message. Surreptitious or subliminal advertising is not allowed. Where content has been sponsored, this must be signalled clearly through use of a sponsorship credit. See section 4 (Sponsorship relationships). Labelling is a useful way of ensuring audiences or users are aware of what they are viewing (e.g. where there is a risk that editorial content may be confused with advertising). 8

9 February NO ENDORSEMENT Advertising and sponsorship arrangements must not include any endorsement by the BBC. Care should be taken to ensure that no impression is given of endorsement by the BBC. The BBC name, logos, titles, channel names, programme titles, formats, characters, sets, music or catchphrases should not normally be used by commercial advertisers except in joint promotions. See section 6 (Joint Promotions). Some exceptions may apply where a BBC brand forms part of the product or service. For example, where a television set features a pre-installed version of the BBC iplayer. However, BBC brands should not be used in a manner that might reasonably be interpreted as endorsement or promotion of the activities of third parties. See also BBC Fair Trading Guidelines sections and

10 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 3. ADVERTISING RELATIONSHIPS 3.1 GENERAL RULES Total amount of advertising content The primary purpose of any BBC service is to deliver editorial content. Therefore the amount of editorial content on any service or publication must always outweigh the amount of advertising content Third party supplied advertising In some cases the BBC may contract a third party to supply advertising for one of our services. For example, an advertising agent may sell advertising on BBC television channels as part of a wider arrangement with a carriage provider. Where a third party is responsible for the sale, broadcast or publishing of advertising on a BBC branded service, the contractual arrangements should normally include a requirement to comply with these guidelines. Any proposed exception must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should conduct regular sample reviews of advertisements provided by third parties to ensure that the arrangement complies with these Guidelines Advertising around syndicated content (and BBC branded blocks) Syndication is where BBC content is made available to a third party, for inclusion in their broadcast service, website or publication. It is normally presented to audiences as coming directly from the BBC. An example of broadcast syndication is the provision of BBC World Service radio bulletins to international radio stations. An example of online syndication is the provision of video content to MSN. Distribution is a generic term that applies more broadly to the means through which the BBC delivers content to audiences. So distribution could be shortwave radio transmissions, cable and satellite deals, some of which may be in the BBC s control, some of which may be controlled by third parties. 10

11 February 2013 A BBC branded block is a block of BBC programming provided to another broadcaster. For example, a CBeebies block broadcast on a Nordic television channel. A BBC branded block should be treated as a form of syndication. The contractual arrangements for syndication of BBC content should normally include a requirement to comply with these guidelines. Any proposed exception must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. The only exception to this is online where the advertising is clearly labelled and separated from the BBC content and is served automatically across a range of content (e.g. not simply BBC material). In such circumstances, advertising must not jeopardise the good reputation of the BBC or the value of the BBC Brand. For example, if the advertising appears in a separate and labelled Ads by Google or AdSense box and is automatically served across the whole website, not just against BBC content. Advertisers may not specifically advertise solely alongside consumer or lifestyle content relating to themselves or their competitors. Any exceptions must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. For example, a car manufacturer may not buy solely against content relating to its, or a competitor s brand, but may buy against the genre or category that contains its brand. Any proposal for an advertiser to buy all available advertising against specific BBC content for more than three months must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Content made available to a third party in a non-branded form is treated as a form of licensing, and this guideline does not apply See also BBC Fair Trading Guidelines sections 4.64 and on appropriate commercial partners Environmental claims Advertising that makes environmental claims, for example, engine performance or environmental sustainability, must comply with the regulations of the relevant territory. Any advertising with an environmental dimension, message or information (whether this is the principle purpose of the advertising or not) is likely to be subject to extremely detailed regulatory scrutiny. The basis of environmental claims must be clear. Unqualified claims could mislead if they omit significant information. 11

12 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services On television and on BBC.com/news, all such advertisements must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian who should ensure it complies with the regulations of the relevant territory. Elsewhere online and in publications, in cases of doubt, such advertisements should be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian who can seek advice from Business & Legal Affairs in the relevant territory to ensure that it complies with the regulations of the relevant territory. In the UK, under the BCAP code the broadcaster is liable for the content of an advertisement so we must ensure it complies with the relevant regulations about environmental claims. However, under the CAP code responsibility rests primarily with the advertiser Advertising featuring augmented reality Advertising featuring augmented reality, such as a magazine advertisement where additional dynamic content is provided through a mobile phone app, is a developing area. Any proposal to accept advertising which makes use of augmented reality technology must be referred, in the first instance, to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the relevant BBC service. The relevant ASG can provide Operational Guidance for execution and ongoing referrals as new technologies evolve Conflicts of interest Presenters and reporters engaged by the BBC may not be allowed to feature in third party advertising. See BBC Editorial Guidelines, section 15 on Conflicts of Interest and Editorial Guidance Note for BBC Global News on Marketing Events. Staff and regular contributors to a magazine or website must not appear in advertisements in their publication or service. It may be possible for occasional contributors to feature in an advertisement in the same publication or service to which they have contributed providing the relationship is not unduly prominent and avoids giving the impression that the advertisement has influenced the choice of contributor. 12

13 February 2013 Any proposal to accept an advertisement featuring a contributor to that magazine or website must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director Advertisement Features Advertisement Features, as the name implies, are advertisements that are presented in an editorial style. They are paid for by the advertiser and under their control. Online, advertisement features are sometimes referred to as an advertiser s microsites. Advertisement Features must: be labelled clearly and prominently Advertisement Feature. There must be no confusion between an advertisement feature and editorial content. See section 2.4 (Distinction). Misleading labels such as Advertisement Promotion or Advertorial should not be used. In fact the use of product logos in the Advertisement Feature is a good way of indicating that the content is advertising and not editorial. be informative and interesting, and add value for the reader. avoid implying endorsement of the product by the BBC and must not feature any recognisable BBC content. not influence, or reasonably be perceived to have influenced, editorial content. not include any BBC names, logos, titles, channel names, programme titles, formats or characters. only include BBC talent where written confirmation has been obtained from the talent (or their agent) that there is no conflict with their work for the public service and that they have the necessary permission from the BBC to undertake the work (if appropriate). See section (BBC Talent contributing to Advertisement Features). All Advertisement Features must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian who must ensure the relevant editor has approved the content. The final responsibility for approving Advertisement Features, like editorial content, rests with the editor. 13

14 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Care must be taken to ensure that readers do not mistake an Advertisement Feature for part of the editorial content of the publication or website. In particular, they should not run on from the editorial content and should be distinct from it. Advertisement Features are normally written and designed by editorial staff, but must remain distinct from the editorial content, such that the consumer knows it is an Advertisement Feature and not editorial. Magazine or website staff and regular contributors should not be given a by-line for any Advertisement Feature they write, nor should they be featured by name or photograph. Instructions, practical advice or recipes within the Advertisement Feature must be approved by the website or publication s experts. 14 Teleshopping should not be treated as an advertisement feature BBC Talent contributing to Advertisement Features For Advertisement Features (where we have control over the copy) the publication must get written confirmation from any BBC talent featured that there is no conflict with their work for the public service and that they have the necessary permission to undertake the work (if appropriate). Such Advertisement Features must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure that the relevant written confirmation has been received. The ASG must also ensure that approval has been obtained from the relevant BBC Talent Manager. The restrictions that apply to advertisements by on-air talent can be found in the BBC Editorial Guidelines and associated Editorial Guidance Notes. Normally, regular BBC presenters are contractually required to adhere to the BBC s Conflicts of Interest policy and to seek permission from the BBC for any advertising commitments. See also section (BBC Talent featuring in Magazine Advertising) Promotion of Advertisement Features An Advertisement Feature may be promoted elsewhere within the same publication or service, provided any such promotion clearly labels the content as advertising. For example, online a Sponsored link to an Advertisement Feature may be included at the end of an Elsewhere on... module.

15 February TELEVISION AND RADIO ADVERTISING This section applies to all television and radio advertising including online streaming of broadcast channels. For audiovisual pre, mid or post-roll advertising, see section 3.3 (Online advertising). Advertising must be clearly separated from editorial content. On television and radio services, it must only run in commercial breaks. For on demand programme services, overlay advertising is not allowed Ad Avails The carriage arrangements for television services (outside the UK) often require an amount of minutes in each hour to be made available to the distributor or platform provider for them to sell advertising. This advertising block is under the editorial control of the distributor or platform provider (sometimes referred to as an affiliate). Such adverts are often described as local ad avails and are frequently for local advertisers. The contractual arrangements for Ad Avails should normally include a requirement to comply with these guidelines. See section (Third party supplied advertising). However, in some territories, regulatory or contractual arrangements may mean that the BBC will have little or no control over such advertising as it is deemed to be under the control of the distributor or platform provider. Any proposals for a service not to have a contractual arrangement to comply with these guidelines must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy Infomercials Advertising must remain distinct from programming, Advertisements of a duration of more than five minutes are not normally allowed. Such advertisements are sometimes referred to as Infomercials. Shorter Infomercials (less than five minutes) should always be labelled in a clear and prominent manner. Where a service is off-air (for example, overnight) infomercials (which are longer than five minutes) may be transmitted so long as it is clear to viewers that they are not watching a BBC service. 15

16 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Radio advertising In addition to the rules above, advertising must be clearly separated from editorial content, for example, by the use of a service ident. Advertising must not be read by the presenter of the programme it surrounds to avoid audience confusion between editorial and advertising content. The inclusion of advertising on BBC radio services is a developing area. Further advice and guidance is available from BBC Editorial Policy. 16

17 February ONLINE ADVERTISING This section applies to all online advertising, including mobile devices and apps. It also applies to audiovisual pre, mid or post-roll advertising. For online streaming of broadcast channels see section 3.2 (Television and Radio advertising). Advertising must not unduly interrupt the relationship between the user and the editorial content without the user s permission. Users should normally signal intent before receiving more intrusive forms of advertising (e.g. click or hover to initiate) Advertisement formats Online advertisement formats are rapidly evolving. The suitability of a particular advertisement format should have regard to: consumer expectation of the BBC brand. the user experience. market norms in the relevant territory. For each online service, Operational Guidance on suitable advertisement formats and their positioning must be agreed between the relevant Advertising Standards Guardians, Editorial Directors and BBC Editorial Policy. For BBC.com/news, Operational Guidance is agreed by BACG Contextual Advertising Advertising may not be sold against a specific story on news and current affairs or consumer review pages. Operational Guidance must be agreed between the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian, Editorial Director and BBC Editorial Policy, to ensure any keyword sales do not breach these principles. On BBC.com/news, advertisers may not pay to advertise specifically alongside stories about themselves or their competitors. Where this occurs randomly, the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian shall decide whether the advertisement is editorially damaging and needs to be removed. Contextual advertising provided by third parties (such as Google AdSense) is allowed, provided it is evident it is under the control of a third party and no prohibited categories of advertising (see section 2.2) are served. See also section (Online Ad Networks). 17

18 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Takeovers (also known as Buyouts ) A takeover is where one advertiser buys all the available advertising space or is the guaranteed exclusive advertiser. A takeover is distinct from sponsorship because no form of credit can be given (e.g. In Association with ). Takeovers are acceptable for website pages and sections. Takeovers are not allowed for the whole of BBC.com/news and are not normally allowed across the whole of any substantive service. For example, there cannot normally be a takeover across the whole of BBCGoodFood.com. In very exceptional circumstances, it may be acceptable for an entire service to have a takeover for a very short period of time (less than 48 hours). Any such proposal must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director, and Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. All takeover arrangements must be for a limited time to ensure that there is no impression of BBC endorsement and no questions are raised about our editorial integrity and independence. On BBC.com/news, a takeover arrangement for a section must not be for more than 30% of the advertising units available across the whole News service. Several sections may be included within a takeover arrangement so long as the overall 30% threshold is not exceeded. A takeover arrangement which includes the BBC.com or BBC.com/news homepages must not be for a duration of more than 7 days, in order to prevent the perception of sponsorship. Any takeover for a duration of more than 48 hours must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. For pages or sections that include news and current affairs, the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian must refer any proposal to accept a page or section takeover for more than 28 days to their Editorial Director. For pages or sections that include consumer advice/review, where the proposed advertiser is related to the editorial content, the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian must refer any proposal to accept a page or section takeover for more than 28 days to their Editorial Director. 18

19 February 2013 These referrals are to ensure a perception of sponsorship is not created in circumstances where sponsorship is not allowed. In determining whether a takeover is acceptable five factors should be considered: the duration of the takeover. the level of traffic attracted to the content being taken over. whether the takeover will involve 100% of advertising space, or whether some units will remain unsold or service house ads. the proximity between the advertiser and content. The closer the advertiser to the editorial content, the harder it would be to justify exclusivity. the frequency with which the editorial content is updated. For example, sections which are updated less frequently may be more acceptable for long term takeovers. For the avoidance of doubt, where an advertiser buys 80% of advertising units, with a guarantee given that the remaining 20% will be left unsold or only used for house ads, this also constitutes a buyout and these rules apply. Recurring takeovers should be treated as one deal. For example, a takeover of three days per week recurring over six weeks should be treated as a six week takeover Behavioural Advertising Behavioural advertising is where advertising is served based on the browsing history of the user and other information collected about them. For example, a user who often visits travel websites might be served advertising about holidays. Online behavioural advertising must comply with industry good practice. BBC practice in Europe is to follow the IAB Europe EU Framework for Online Behavioural Advertising which can be found at BBC Worldwide services must follow BBC Worldwide s Data Protection and Privacy Policies. Advice is available from BBC Worldwide Head of Data Protection. 19

20 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Data protection All advertising must comply with local data protection regulations (such as the Data Protection Act in the UK), which controls how personal information is gathered and stored by companies. Any advertising that proposes to collect personal information from the user should be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure that it complies with the relevant data protection regulations. Particular care must be taken with children s personal details. Advice on data protection can be sought from the BBC Worldwide Head of Data Protection or from BBC Global News Business & Legal Affairs Online Ad Networks, Ad Exchanges and other automated buying platforms An online Ad Network is where a third party sells advertising on behalf of a number of different online services. An Ad Exchange is a technology platform that facilitates the bidding, buying and selling of online media advertising inventory from multiple ad networks. Where a BBC branded service is included in an Ad Network, Ad Exchange or other automated buying platforms, the contractual arrangements should normally include a requirement to comply with these guidelines. See section (Third party supplied advertising). Any proposed exception must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should conduct regular sample reviews of advertisements provided through such service to ensure that the arrangement complies with these Guidelines. In the case of BBC.com/news, an arrangement for creative copy to be approved before campaigns go live is required Advertising on social media services As part of a wider online advertising arrangement, it may be possible to include reference to the advertising on a BBC commercial social media service. For example, where an advertisement feature is included as a microsite on one of our websites, it may be possible to include a sponsored tweet on that website s Twitter account. It must always be clear that such references are advertising, distinct from editorial. 20

21 February 2013 Any proposal to sell advertising directly on a BBC social media service must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Where the service is accessible in the UK, it must be clear that it is a commercial service, rather than a BBC public service social media account. This referral does not apply to advertising sold by a third party around a BBC presence on a social media service. For example, advertising sold by Facebook around the Top Gear Facebook page. 21

22 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 3.4 MAGAZINE ADVERTISING Advertising must be clearly separated from editorial content. Where there may be doubt or confusion, advertising should be clearly labelled to distinguish it from editorial content Solus advertising Solus advertising is where one advertiser purchases all the available advertising space in a publication. Solus advertising is not allowed in regular publications. However solus advertising is allowed for one-shot magazines, magazines supplements and inserts. Any such arrangement must be limited to ensure that there is no implication of BBC endorsement of the advertiser and a range of advertisers should be sought over time. However, where the one-shot, supplement or insert includes review of products or services or features a consumer review brand, solus advertising is not allowed by an organisation whose products or services are likely to be reviewed in that one-shot, supplement or insert. All arrangements for solus advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. A solus advertiser may not be referred to within the content, or given any form of credit, unlike a sponsor. See section 6 (Sponsorship). However, for magazine supplements it is acceptable for the front cover of the publication to carry a strip advertisement or competition flash for the solus advertiser provided this does not give the perception of endorsement. The artwork for any front cover advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. There is particular sensitivity about solus advertising in the UK around public service programme brands. The ASG must refer any proposal for solus advertising around a public service programme brand to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy. 22

23 February BBC Talent It may not be appropriate for BBC talent, such as television and radio presenters, to appear in certain types of advertising. In some areas the presenter s contract with the BBC places clear prohibitions on advertising. For example: The presenter of a motoring show could not appear in an advertisement for a car manufacturer as this would call their objectivity into doubt. BBC presenters must not advertise any products featured in the programme in which they appear and they should not advertise the clothing which they wear on air. No two presenters from the same programme may appear together in an advert for a commercial product or service not connected to the BBC or the programme they present. No actors from a BBC drama may replicate their on air role in an advertisement. Groups of actors from a continuing drama series (such as Casualty or EastEnders) should not appear together in any advertisement. The restrictions that apply to advertisements by on-air talent can be found in the BBC Editorial Guidelines and associated Editorial Guidance Notes. Normally, regular BBC presenters are contractually required to adhere to the BBC s Conflicts of Interest policy and to seek permission from the BBC for any advertising commitments. BBC News and current affairs presenters and reporters are not permitted to take part in any commercial advertising. In order to maintain their impartiality it is unlikely that they would be permitted to appear in a promotion for a particular charity. All advertisements that feature known BBC talent must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must ensure that the relevant BBC Talent Manager is notified. If the BBC Talent Manager considers the advertisement to be inappropriate or a conflict of interest, they may ask that publication does not proceed (if practicable) or that the advertisement is not to re-run in future publications. See also section (Advertisement Features). 23

24 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Contextual advertising Editorial content and advertisements on the same subject should be kept a reasonable distance apart to avoid the impression that the advertisement has influenced the choice of editorial. This is of particular importance where a specific product, event or service is featured in an editorial article. Advertising for such a product, event or service should not normally appear within three pages of the editorial article, at the discretion of the Advertising Standards Guardian. For example, a general travel article on France could be adjacent to advertisements for the French Tourism Board, Brittany Ferries, Citroen, etc. However, if the article was about the relative merits of Eurostar versus Brittany Ferries then advertisements for those two companies would have to be kept at least three pages away from the article Data protection All advertising must comply with local data protection regulations (such as the Data Protection Act in the UK), which controls how personal information is gathered and stored by companies. Particular care must be taken with children s personal details. Advice on data protection can be sought from the BBC Worldwide Head of Data Protection or BBC Global News Business & Legal Affairs. 24

25 February ADVERTISING AT EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS Exhibitors at any BBC event or exhibition shall be treated as advertisers. The categories of advertiser listed in section 2.2 will not normally be acceptable as exhibitors. Any exceptions must be referred to BBC Editorial Policy. See also Fair Trading Guidelines, sections 4.64 and 4.65 on appropriate partners for the BBC. 25

26 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 4. SPONSORSHIP RELATIONSHIPS 4.1 GENERAL RULES Sponsorship is where a third party (not engaged in the provision or production of content) makes any contribution to the financing of content (or its publication or transmission) with a view to promoting their name, trade mark, image, activities or products. For example, a television programme could be sponsored, as could a magazine supplement or a section of a website. Care should be taken with all sponsorship arrangements to ensure that there is not an actual or perceived endorsement of the sponsor by the BBC. Sponsorship arrangements must not lead to the creation or distortion of editorial content so that it becomes a vehicle for the purpose of promoting the sponsor. In all cases, the BBC should have a full understanding of the relationship between the contributor and the editorial content, as well as a full appreciation of the motivation and reasons a contributor is funding content. Any product placement by a sponsor must follow section 4.2 of the Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services on Editorial Integrity and Independence from External Interests. All sponsorship proposals must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian at the outset. Sponsorship is distinct from advertising because a sponsor is credited for their investment providing them with a direct association with the content. Sponsorship is also different from funding. Contributions made by an organisation without a view to promote its name, trade mark, image, activities or products may be considered as funding. See also Guidelines for BBC Global News on External Relationships and Funding. Great care is needed to ensure that funders do not become sponsors. If a third party makes a contribution towards a programme (or other content) and it or its activities are promoted in the programme then this will be considered sponsorship, even if no sponsorship credit is given. This form of sponsorship is not permitted since it is viewed that the independence of the editorial content has been undermined. Therefore a full and complete understanding of the relationship between the contributor and the content is crucial to assessing whether the relationship is sponsorship (and whether the relationship raises any potential conflicts of interests). 26

27 February 2013 It is therefore not appropriate for BBC editorial content to feature or promote a contributor s name, trade mark, image, activities or products (unless it is incidental). However, in the case of UKTV and other BBC commercial international television services, excluding Global News services, a reference to the contributor may be permitted where it is part of a commercial arrangement and should be considered as product placement. Such references should adhere to the Guidance on Product Placement for BBC International Channels and any Official Regulations applicable for broadcasts to the relevant territories. (Services licensed by Ofcom are subject to Ofcom regulations). References that are not part of a commercial arrangement must be incidental. A contribution could be defined in a number of ways and is not limited to direct payments. For example, payment of other production costs such as flights may be regarded as a contribution. A contribution may be paid at any time, before or during the production. A sponsor may also buy advertising around the content it is sponsoring, which should comply with the guidelines on advertising. See section 3 (Advertising relationships) Organisations that cannot sponsor content Organisations may not sponsor content if they are not allowed to advertise in that medium or territory. Companies and organisations associated with the prohibited categories of advertising in section 2.2 may not sponsor any content: political advertising and advertising about controversial subjects. religious advertising. advertising for the occult. advertising for pornography and sexual services. advertising for tobacco products. advertising for weapons and gun clubs. Organisations may also not sponsor content that promotes their name, trade mark, image, activities or products within the editorial content. This includes any promotional references to the sponsor s business. Any reference to a product or service, in either sound or vision, is only permitted if incidental, non-promotional and editorially justified. The sponsorship should not give rise to concern about conflicts of interest. See also section below and (for product placement rules) the Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services on Editorial Integrity and Independence from External Interests. 27

28 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Content that cannot be sponsored The following categories of content cannot be sponsored: substantive BBC services as a whole. For example, a BBC-branded television channel or website. news and current affairs content (bulletins, programmes, reports and articles). general Consumer Advice programmes and services which could deal with any topic. For example, the Watchdog television programme. in the UK only, BBC commissioned television and radio programmes originally transmitted on the BBC s licence fee funded services which have been commissioned/re-commissioned within the last twelve months. Other sponsorship arrangements must not give the impression that any of these categories of content have been sponsored. For the launch of a new service, it may be acceptable for a substantive BBC service to have a launch sponsor. Any such proposal must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy, According to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code, current affairs means content that contains explanation and analysis of current events and issues, including material dealing with political or industrial controversy or with current public policy. Simply because a current affairs department has produced the content, it should not be classed as current affairs unless it meets the definition of the genre. Specialist reports which contain no current affairs commentary or analysis, such as sport, travel and weather reports, may be sponsored if they are clearly separated from news content. To avoid the impression that news has been sponsored, such reports should not be described as news. Unmediated business data such as financial market information may be sponsored. All decisions about appropriate sponsorship around BBC News content require careful editorial judgment and should take note of the intended treatment of the subject matter. The decision that sponsorship around BBC News content is acceptable must be taken, in the first instance, by the relevant Editorial Director of BBC Global News. 28

29 February Sponsorship of consumer review/advice content Content that includes review of, or advice on, products or services may not be sponsored by an organisation whose products or service are likely to be reviewed. This is to avoid the perception that the sponsor may have influenced the editorial selection or conclusions. For example, Top Gear content cannot be sponsored directly by a car manufacturer. Similarly, a travel programme that reviews holiday resorts cannot be sponsored by a tourism board that promotes the destination. However, a programme about the history or architecture of a destination could be sponsored by the relevant tourism board. If there is any doubt as to whether content constitutes consumer review (and this rule applies), the relevant ASG should refer to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. They will consult Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy Choice of sponsor The choice of sponsor should not raise questions about the reputation of the BBC (see section 2.2). In particular, the sponsorship should: not give the impression that the BBC endorses the sponsor, or its products and services. not appear that the BBC s integrity and editorial standards have been compromised by the influence of the sponsor. An organisation may not sponsor content which, had it not been sponsored, could have been expected to contain material which might conflict with the sponsor s interests. Sponsorship by the following categories has particular sensitivities: the National Lottery (in the UK). See section 7.18 charities, foundations and non-governmental organisations. See section 7.4 governments and government agencies (except government funded tourism or trade boards/organisations. See section 7.12 agencies, institutions or services offering advice on personal or consumer problems. See section 7.20 On BBC Global News services, sponsorship by Charities and non-governmental organisations is not allowed. 29

30 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Advertiser Funded Programmes Advertiser Funded Programmes (or AFP ) are existing television or radio programmes provided by an advertiser. Programmes made by or for non-commercial organisations are also classed as advertiser funded programmes. AFP should be treated as content sponsored by that advertiser (or non-commercial organisation), and these rules on sponsorship apply (for instance, the content should not promote the organisation s name, trade mark, image, activities or products). If the advertiser cannot sponsor such programmes we cannot accept advertiser funded programmes from them. The programmes must be of a standard and quality that makes it appropriate to be included in a BBC service. Ultimate editorial control over the content must remain with the BBC. Advertiser Funded Programmes may include product placement. However such arrangements must be in line with the Guidance on Product Placement for BBC International Channels and any Official Regulations applicable for broadcasts to the relevant territories. BBC World News cannot accept product placement. Any product placement must be removed from Advertiser Funded Programmes prior to transmission on the channel. Advertiser funded or supplied content is not acceptable on licence fee-funded services. Advice is available from BBC Editorial Policy, All proposals to accept Advertiser Funded Programmes must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian who will consult their Editorial Director Content syndication and distribution arrangements Sponsorship of BBC branded content syndicated or distributed to third parties should normally comply with the relevant principles for sponsorship in these guidelines. Any proposed exception must be referred to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. In some territories (particularly the United States) market norms may make it acceptable to credit in a different way making clear that it is the presentation of the content by the third party that is sponsored, and not the content itself i.e. the content was originally produced without the sponsorship arrangement. For example, Top Gear on [channel] is sponsored by Honda or The funding of this presentation on PBS is made possible by Honda. 30

31 February Promotion of sponsored content Where there is promotion of sponsored content (such as a programme trail or house ad), any reference to the sponsor must remain brief and secondary. The primary purpose must be to promote the editorial content. 31

32 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 4.2 TELEVISION AND RADIO SPONSORSHIP This section applies to all television and radio services including online streaming of broadcast channels. For other online service see section 4.3 (Online sponsorship). All proposals for sponsorship must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. In some instances the ASG will need to make an onward referral. Subject to the regulations of the relevant territory and section (Content that cannot be sponsored) above, sponsorship on television and radio services may be allowed for: individual programmes, including individual programmes within themed programme blocks. See section (BBC Programmes). segments or items within programmes. themed programme blocks which include a number of programmes. slots which contain different programmes at different times (for example, Motoring on Dave or Movies on BBC Entertainment ). specialist reports which stand alone as programmes (for example, weather or sports reports). items of channel presentation or continuity (for example, closed captioning) where this is common market practice. The arrangements for any of these sponsorship opportunities must not create the impression that any of the categories of content that cannot be sponsored have been sponsored. See section and section Any sponsorship must be clearly identified at the beginning and/or during and/or end of the programme by use of a sponsorship billboard or other similar sponsorship credit. For segments this should appear at the beginning and/or end of the segment; it may not appear during the segment. Sponsorship billboards or other similar sponsorship credits may also be broadcast at the beginning and/or end of commercial breaks. For BBC World News, sponsorship must be clearly identified at the beginning of a programme or segment by use of a sponsorship billboard or other similar sponsorship credit. Except for very short programmes, the sponsorship must also be clearly identified at the end of the programme 32

33 February 2013 All sponsorship billboards/credits must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian in addition to seeking approval for the overall sponsorship arrangement. All sponsor credits broadcast during programmes must not be unduly prominent. Credits broadcast during programmes must only consist of a brief, neutral visual and/or verbal statement identifying the sponsorship arrangement. BBC licence fee funded services cannot broadcast programmes containing any sponsorship credits. If there is any possibility that a programme will be broadcast on BBC licence fee funded services, it cannot include any sponsorship credits during the programme It is essential that programmes on BBC services are not edited in order to place a sponsor in a favourable light or to remove material which would have otherwise been unfavourable to a sponsor. Factual programme content, produced by the BBC, in particular, should not normally be edited to enable sponsorship. Where there is a conflict between a choice of sponsor and editorial content, the sponsor should not be accepted. Therefore, no person or organisation may sponsor a programme which, had it not been sponsored, could have been expected to contain material which might conflict with the sponsor s interests. For acquired programmes, there may be some need to edit a programme to allow sponsorship. For example, to remove undue reference to the sponsor. See Guidance regarding categories of television programme which cannot be sponsored. Specific issues about the norms of sponsorship in the US market should be referred to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. They will consult BBC Editorial Policy Style and content of television and radio sponsorship credits All sponsorship credits must be approved by the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Sponsorship must be clearly identified as such by reference to the name and/or logo of the sponsor in a sponsorship billboard or other similar sponsorship credit. The primary purpose of a sponsorship billboard/credit is to establish clearly and transparently the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored programme. It should explain the sponsor s connection with the programme e.g. sponsored by, in association with. The billboard/credits must not suggest that the programme has been made by the sponsor. 33

34 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services The sponsorship billboard/credit should normally use the term sponsored by or in association with in either sound or vision (or both), unless this is not established practice in the particular market. The ASG should be consulted before any alternative phrases are discussed with a client. For BBC World News, the sponsorship billboard/credit should always use the term sponsored by or in association (or their immediate derivatives such as X sponsors Y, X is proud to sponsor Y, or This programme sponsored by Y ). It may be possible for some sponsor s slogans and straplines to be used within a credit, for the purpose of helping to identify the sponsor and/or sponsorship arrangement. However care should be taken when using such straplines (particularly in combination with footage from a sponsor s advertising campaign) to ensure that the primary focus of the credit is clearly on the sponsorship arrangement. Sponsor credits must be clearly distinct from programmes. On BBC branded service or in relation to any programme originally commissioned by the BBC, they may not incorporate any element of the programme itself (or any other BBC branding) or be voiced by someone appearing in the programme or voiced by someone used in presentation or promotions on the channel. To prevent the impression being created that the BBC has endorsed a third party, sponsorship credits must not include any BBC content. This includes the use of BBC owned, or BBC related, characters, sets, music, catchphrases or other BBC owned material. BBC news presenters or those normally associated with news programming may not appear in sponsorship credits for any programmes. The ASG must refer any proposal to use known BBC talent in a sponsorship credit to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. 34

35 February 2013 In some territories, it may be appropriate for the sponsorship credit to make clear that it is the presentation of the programme on the specific channel that has been sponsored, rather than the programme itself. For example, Top Gear on BBC America is sponsored by X. In Europe, sponsorship credits should be: broadcast at the beginning and/or during and/or end of the programme. Sponsor credits are also permitted around commercial breaks. clearly separated from advertising. They must not contain advertising messages or calls to action, although basic contact information is permitted. In particular, credits must not encourage the purchase or use of the product or service of the sponsor or a third party Naming Rights Sponsors may wish to include their name in the title of a programme ( naming rights ). This is only permissible where the programme itself can be sponsored. To protect the BBC brand and BBC programme brands, programmes or on-screen events with BBC in the title or any programme that originated on licence fee funded BBC channels cannot have naming rights. To avoid undue prominence of the sponsor, on air reference to the full programme title (including the sponsor s name) is allowed but should be limited in use. The number of references to the programme title within the programme must be agreed in advance with the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Naming Rights are not available for programmes broadcast on BBC World News Programme trails and short form programmes Where a programme trail contains a reference to the sponsor of the programme, the reference must remain brief and secondary. The primary purpose of the trail should be to promote the programme. Sponsor credits may have a greater prominence in short form programmes (e.g. factoids, vignettes and programmes under 60 seconds in length). Care is needed to ensure there can be no impression that these are advertiser promotions rather than programmes. The risk of such a perception increases when the nature of the sponsor s business is closer to the subject matter. 35

36 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Television and radio content with restrictions around sponsorship News and current affairs programming BBC News is a trusted and impartial source for news around the world. Sponsorship arrangements must not jeopardise the good reputation of the BBC or the value of the BBC brand. News and Current Affairs programmes may not be sponsored. European Union legislation prohibits the sponsorship of news and current affairs programming. In other territories (such as the United States) there is not a legal prohibition of the sponsorship of news and current affairs programming. In such territories it may be possible for broadcasters who retransmit news and current affairs programmes to accept sponsorship, not of the news programme itself, but, of the presentation of the rebroadcasting where local regulations and market practice allow. For example, Funding of this presentation on PBS is made possible by X. However this must not create the impression that the due impartiality or due accuracy of BBC News has been affected. The decision about whether the presentation of a BBC News programme can be sponsored in a specific territory requires considerable editorial judgement and must be referred to the relevant Editorial Director of BBC Global News (regardless of the channel on which the content is to be broadcast). Any contractual arrangement to allow the sponsorship of the retransmission of BBC News programmes must be referred to Chief Adviser BBC Editorial Policy. Specialist reports which contain no current affairs commentary or analysis, such as sport, travel and weather reports, may be sponsored if they are clearly separated from news programming. To avoid the impression that news has been sponsored, such reports must not be described as news. The decision about whether BBC News programming is news and current affairs or a specialist report requires considerable editorial judgment and must be referred to the relevant Editorial Director of BBC Global News (regardless of the channel on which the content is to be broadcast). Where non-news and non-current affairs content is broadcast within rolling news services, this content may be sponsored if both the non-news/non-current affairs content and the sponsorship credit are clearly separated from news and current affairs programming. 36

37 February 2013 Proposals for sponsorship of non-news content within rolling news services must be referred to the Editorial Director of BBC Global News. Within the European Union, The Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) (article 3f(4)) prohibits the sponsorship of news and current affairs programmes. In the UK, this restriction is enacted in section 9 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. Therefore news and current affairs programmes should not be sponsored. The purpose of this restriction is to ensure that news is presented, and seen to be presented, with due impartiality and is reported with due accuracy. Ofcom states that the meaning of a current affairs programmes as one that contains explanation and analysis of current events and issues, including material dealing with political or industrial controversy or with current public policy Business programmes In Europe, business and financial programmes that contain business news, including explanation or analysis of current financial and economic issues may not be sponsored, in line with Ofcom regulations. In other regions, where local regulations allow, regular business reports may be sponsored. The decision about whether a regular business report can be sponsored requires considerable editorial judgment and must be referred to the relevant Editorial Director of BBC Global News (regardless of the channel on which the content is to be broadcast). In all territories, unmediated data such as foreign exchange rates or stock exchange data, which contains no analysis, may be sponsored BBC Programming On UK commercial channels there are particular restrictions relating to programmes originally made by or for BBC licence fee funded services. Individual BBC commissioned programmes may only be sponsored if they are no longer being commissioned by the BBC and their first broadcast on public service channels occurred more than one year ago. Any proposal to sponsor any other BBC commissioned programme must be referred to the relevant Director or Controller in BBC Vision and Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy. 37

38 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should confirm the status of any individual BBC programme it is intended to sponsor. They should liaise with counterparts in the BBC to confirm the status of such programming. On UK commercial channels, BBC programmes can be included in substantive clearly labelled strands of programming or slots which can be sponsored, provided that: those strands are not titled with, or otherwise carry, a BBC brand. the strand name must be prominent within the credits so that it is clear that it is the strand, and not the BBC brand, that is sponsored. regular sponsored slots may carry different programmes at different times on different days e.g. a sponsored leisure slot could carry a travel programme one day and a hobbies programme the next. These restrictions do not apply outside the UK Channel sponsorship Sponsorship of a BBC branded channel is not allowed. Sponsorship of non-bbc branded channels may be allowed. However such arrangements must not give the impression of BBC endorsement of the third party. The ASG must refer any proposal for channel sponsorship (in the UK) for a duration of more than six months, or any proposal for multiple concurrent channel sponsorships by the same or different sponsor, to the relevant Director or Controller in BBC Vision and Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy Children s programmes Sponsorship of content aimed at children should be treated with sensitivity. Any service wishing to accept sponsorship of Children s programming must seek approval from BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy. Programmes aimed at children may only be sponsored by organisations who can advertise around content aimed at children. Sponsorship is not allowed by products or services that directly appeal to children. For example, a toy company would not be allowed, but a pram manufacturer may be acceptable. 38

39 February 2013 The ASG must refer any proposal for sponsorship of children s programmes (on a service which has approval) to the Editorial Director. In cases of doubt, reference should be made to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy Consumer review/advice programmes General Consumer advice programmes which could cover any topic must not be sponsored. For example, Watchdog. Other Consumer advice/review programmes (such as a car review programme or travel show) may be sponsored so long as the sponsor is not directly connected to the subject matter of the programme. For example, Click cannot be sponsored by Samsung. See section If there is any doubt as to whether a programme should be considered as a Consumer Advice programme or how far this restriction should apply, the Advertising Standards Guardian must refer to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. They will consult Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy Game Shows Prizes for Game Shows are only acceptable from organisations that can sponsor the programme. See section 2.2. Any proposal to accept prizes for a Game Show must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must also approve any references to the prize donor to be included in the programme. 39

40 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 4.3 ONLINE SPONSORSHIP This section applies to all online sponsorship including audiovisual content. It also applies to sponsorship on mobile devices. For online streaming of broadcast channels see section 4.2 (Television and radio sponsorship). All proposals for sponsorship must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. In some instances the ASG will need to make an onward referral. Substantive websites or services as a whole may not be sponsored. Subject to the regulations of the relevant territory and section above, sponsorship online may be allowed for: sections of websites or on demand programme services. microsites. apps (which do not form a substantive service in their own right). functionality (such as print functionality or video players). The arrangements for any of these sponsorship opportunities must not create the impression that any of the categories of content that cannot be sponsored has been sponsored. See section For audiovisual content sponsorship, the principles in section 4.2 (Television and radio sponsorship) also apply. To ensure that no impression is given that prohibited categories on a website have been sponsored, techniques such as clear separation (e.g. spacing and borders) and transparent labelling should be used. Where an app forms a substantive service in its own right, sponsorship of the app as a whole is not normally allowed. If there is any doubt as to whether an app forms a substantive service in its own right, the ASG must seek advice from BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will refer to BBC Editorial Policy. 40

41 February Online sponsorship credits All sponsorship credits must be approved by the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The sponsor s name should not normally be incorporated into the name of the section. For example, Orange Film Guide would not be allowed, but Film Guide in association with Orange would be acceptable. To protect the BBC brand, sections with BBC in the title must never have a sponsor s name integrated into their title (e.g. BBC Orange Film Guide). However, where the website section is associated with a television programme which has Naming Rights, the website section may also carry the same name. See section ( Naming Rights ) The sponsor s name or logo can be displayed on the website, provided it does not imply that they have ownership or editorial control of the content. A credit should be included above the sponsor s name or logo to explain their connection to the content e.g. Sponsored by, In association with etc. There must always be clear separation between the sponsor s name or logo and any BBC brands used. The use of BBC brands and logos must be consistent with the BBC Brand & Design Guidelines. The total effect of commercial messaging must not raise questions about the BBC s editorial integrity or detract unduly from the principle editorial purpose of the content. For example, the volume of advertising and sponsorship (both in total and by any one third party) must be considered. Any audiovisual sponsorship credits must also meet the requirements for television sponsorship credits. See section (Style and content of television and radio sponsorship credits) Promotion of sponsored content Where there is promotion of sponsored content elsewhere on a website any reference to the sponsor must remain brief and secondary. The primary purpose should be to promote the editorial content. 41

42 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services Online content with restrictions around sponsorship Substantive websites or services as a whole may not be sponsored. News and current affairs reports and articles may not be sponsored. Pages that contain news or current affairs content cannot carry other sponsored editorial content. However they may carry modules that promote sponsored content on other areas and links to non-news and non-current affairs sponsored material; this may include a brief reference to the sponsor. The pages may also include sponsored unmediated data. Particular care must be taken with sponsorship of non-news and non-current affairs items around news or current affairs pages to ensure there is no perception that news and current affairs content is being sponsored. Where sponsored non-news and non-current affairs content is carried on a page which includes BBC News branding, such as a masthead, there must be an appropriate degree of separation between the sponsorship credit and sponsored material and any BBC News branding. Sponsored material must be clearly labelled as such so that the credit is distinct from the News and it is apparent that the News is not being sponsored. The arrangements for any other sponsorship opportunities must not create the impression that content that cannot be sponsored has been sponsored. See section (Content that cannot be sponsored) and section (Sponsorship of consumer review/advice content). 42

43 February MAGAZINE SPONSORSHIP All proposals for sponsorship must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. In some instances the ASG will need to make an onward referral. Regular magazines may not be sponsored (e.g. Good Food magazine or Top Gear magazine). Sponsorship may be possible for: one-shot magazines, such as the Good Food home cooking specials; magazine supplements, inserts and cover mounts, such as a recipe booklet in Good Food magazines. There is particular sensitivity about sponsorship in the UK around public service programme brands. The ASG must refer any proposal for sponsorship around a public service programme brand to BBC Worldwide Magazines Unit who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy Magazine sponsorship credits All sponsorship credits must be approved by the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The sponsor s name must not be incorporated into the name of the publication or product. For example, Orange Film Guide would not be allowed, but Film Guide in association with Orange would be acceptable. The sponsor s name or logo may be carried on the front page of the publication, provided it does not imply that they have ownership or editorial control of the publication. A credit must be included above the sponsor s name or logo to explain their connection to the content e.g. Sponsored by, In association with etc. There must always be clear separation between the sponsor s name or logo and any BBC brands used. The use of BBC brands and logos must be consistent with the BBC Brand & Design Guidelines. 43

44 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 4.5 EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS SPONSORSHIP All proposals for sponsorship must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. In some instances the ASG will need to make an onward referral. Editorial Guidance on how BBC public service programming can cover a sponsored event or exhibition can be found at Events and Exhibitions with restrictions around sponsorship BBC News programming or publications BBC News and current affairs content cannot be sponsored directly. Care should be taken with any other sponsorship arrangements to ensure the impression is not given that this content has been sponsored. See Editorial Policy Guidance Note on Global News marketing events Consumer advice programming or publications Sponsorship of an event or exhibition based on consumer advice programmes dealing with a range of topics is not allowed. For example, an event based on Watchdog Children s events and exhibitions Sponsorship of events and exhibitions aimed at children or very likely to appeal to children should be treated with sensitivity. Events and exhibitions aimed at children may only be sponsored by organisations who can advertise around content aimed at children. See section 5 (Content aimed at children). Sponsorship is not allowed by products or services that directly appeal to children. For example, a toy company would not be allowed, but a pram manufacturer may be acceptable Religious programming or publications Sponsorship of an event or exhibition connected with BBC religious programming or publications should be treated with sensitivity. The ASG must refer any proposal for sponsorship of an event or exhibition connected with BBC religious programming or publications to BBC Worldwide 44

45 February 2013 Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy Style and content of Events and Exhibition sponsorship credits All sponsorship credits must be approved by the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The sponsor s name must not be incorporated into the name of the event or exhibition. For example, Barclays Good Food Live would not be allowed, but Good Food Live in association with Barclays would be acceptable. The sponsor s name or logo can be displayed on branding, signage and publicity material for the event or exhibition, provided it does not imply that they have ownership or editorial control of the content. A credit must be included above the sponsor s name or logo to explain their connection to the event or exhibition e.g. Sponsored by, In association with etc. There must always be clear separation between the sponsor s name or logo and any BBC brands used. The use of BBC brands and logos must be consistent with the BBC Brand & Design Guidelines Sponsor competitions A sponsor may wish to run a competition to publicise their involvement in a BBC event. All such competitions must have prior BBC approval they must not suggest BBC endorsement of the sponsor s product or service. No such competition may be promoted on licence fee funded services. 45

46 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 5. CONTENT AIMED AT CHILDREN The BBC is a trusted provider of content for children. As such, we have a responsibility to ensure that advertising around this content is appropriate and does not encourage children to undertake harmful activities. In determining what advertising is appropriate around children s content, the age of the target audience should be taken into account. For the purpose of these guidelines, children should be taken to mean all children and young people under the age of 18. Advertising should be suitable for the target audience, that is, it must not contain any material which would not be suitable for an unsupervised child to use. Advertisements must not: contain anything that is likely to result in the physical, mental or moral harm of children. encourage children to copy any practice that might be unsafe for a child. It should not contain behaviour that is likely to be easily imitable by children in a manner that is dangerous. For example, advertisements should not depict children in hazardous situations or behaving dangerously such as crossing a main road without appropriate adult supervision. encourage children to enter strange places or talk/communicate with strangers. For example, advertisements should not encourage children to use websites which are not suitably moderated. contain offensive or profane language. suggest that a child is inferior or unpopular for not buying a particular product. seek to exploit children s credulity, loyalty, vulnerability or lack of experience. actively encourage children to replace main meals with unhealthy snack foods. Due consideration should be given to local custom and market best practice. Advertisements that involve promotions must not: encourage excessive purchases in order to participate in the promotion; exaggerate the value of any prizes on offer, or the chances of winning them. The following categories of advertising may not be carried in or around any BBC products and services aimed at children: 46

47 February 2013 advertisers prohibited in section 2.2 o o o o o o political advertising and advertising about controversial subjects. religious advertising. advertising for the occult. advertising for pornography and sexual services. advertising for tobacco products. advertising for weapons and gun clubs. advertising for any products or services which it would be unsafe for an unsupervised child to use. For example, products labelled keep out of the reach of children. advertising for all alcoholic drinks and any food product that contains alcohol (such as liqueur chocolates). advertising for betting, gaming, gambling, casinos and lotteries. advertising for cosmetic surgery. advertising for dating services (including dating agencies and matrimonial or introduction agencies). advertising for dietary supplements. advertising for fireworks. advertising for any product or service relating to the occult (including services of a clear entertainment nature.). advertising for toy guns. advertising for over the counter or prescription medicines. advertising aimed at children, for products and services which they cannot purchase, such as lottery tickets. In addition, advertising for food and drink products high in fat salt, or sugar ( HFSS ) are not acceptable where they suggest they are an alternative to a healthy, balanced, diet. See section 7.11 (Food and drinks). There are also further detailed requirements for broadcast services regulated by Ofcom. 47

48 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services In some cases advertising around content aimed at very young children may be directed towards the carer rather than the children. Care should be taken to ensure the advertising is still appropriate for a children s audience. None of the prohibited categories of advertising above may appear. However it may be possible to advertise other products or services which a child cannot legally purchase or consume. For example, advertising for a college savings fund, or for a credit card, aimed at the carer rather than the child could be acceptable. However, advertising for a lottery would be inappropriate (in the UK, children under 16 cannot purchase lottery tickets). As would advertising for cinema tickets for a film classified as unsuitable for under 15s. 48

49 February JOINT PROMOTIONS (FOR BBC PUBLICATIONS AND WEBSITES) A joint promotion is a marketing tool where we work with a third party to promote a BBC product and the third-party brand at the same time.; Examples of joint promotions are: a free DVD with a magazine. a competition to win a DVD if a magazine is purchased. a special price offer for a product by a retailer. Joint promotions must be organized so as to avoid the appearance of our endorsement of the third party or their product or service, and must be consistent with protection of the brand. Any competitions, votes and awards which form part of a joint promotion must be conducted in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines with editorial control being held by the BBC (or BBC Worldwide or BBC World News). Any exceptions must be referred to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the Editorial Director for BBC Global News, who will consult BBC Editorial Policy. See BBC Fair Trading Guidelines sections 4.58 to All proposals for joint promotions must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 6.1 CHOOSING A PARTNER FOR A JOINT PROMOTION The same third party must not be used repeatedly to the exclusion of other partners. Opportunities to work with a range of partners should be sought. There are no limits to the duration of a joint promotion; however the exclusivity period should take into account the likely perception of BBC endorsement for the third party. Partners must not bring the BBC into disrepute. They should be appropriate to the editorial values of the service or publication and the BBC brand being used. Categories of organisation that are prohibited from advertising (see section 2.2) are not normally suitable joint promotion partners. See BBC Fair Trading Guidelines sections 4.64 and 4.65 on appropriate partners for the BBC. 49

50 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services In addition, care should be taken regarding the other categories of organization where specific rules apply for advertising. See section 7 (Categories of advertiser or sponsor with specific restrictions or referrals). 6.2 READER OFFERS IN MAGAZINES AND ONLINE Reader Offers are different from standard offers by third-party commercial businesses. Although they are a joint promotion with a third party, they are nevertheless owned by the magazine or website in that the publisher has vetted the supplier to guarantee financial stability. Consequently, readers trust the magazine or website to ensure quality, service, value for money, no hidden extras, and safety when parting with their money. In short, our Reader Offers must be safe in that we take responsibility for them, unlike straightforward advertisements where we merely ensure that the copy is legal, decent, honest and truthful and that the companies are solvent at the time of booking the ad. Reader Offers should be distinctive and we should always include something exclusive in the offer - be it a price advantage, special content, an upgrade not available elsewhere, or a unique offering - and better service levels than are available elsewhere because there is a service level agreement in place. Reader Offers should be clearly labelled so that readers are aware it is an offer associated with the magazine or website; it may be appropriate to state an offer is a Good Food Reader Offer rather than simply a Reader Offer. All Reader Offers must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 50

51 7. CATEGORIES OF ADVERTISER OR SPONSOR WITH SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS OR REFERRALS February 2013 To protect the BBC s reputation, the following categories of advertiser or sponsor have specific restrictions or referrals. These restrictions apply in addition to any restriction in place because of local regulations. 7.1 ADHESIVES AND AEROSOLS Advertising for products which include adhesives or aerosols can be sensitive when placed around content aimed at children. Depending on the target age group, advertising for products including adhesives or aerosols may be acceptable if the product only contains a small amount of adhesive or aerosol which could not harm a child. In content aimed at children, such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 7.2 ALCOHOL In many territories restrictions apply to the advertising, sale or consumption of alcohol products (including alcopops and liqueur chocolates). In addition, due care should be paid to the likely target audience and the sensitivities in the territories where these advertisements may be displayed Advertising by alcohol manufacturers in territories and mediums where alcohol advertising is prohibited In territories or mediums where a prohibition applies to the advertising of alcohol products, advertising by alcohol manufacturers of their non-alcohol related goods may be permissible. Such advertising should not give the impression of promoting alcohol or of being seen as a backdoor route to alcohol advertising. All advertising by alcohol manufacturers in territories or mediums where a prohibition applies to the advertising of alcohol products must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director Alcohol advertising and content aimed at children On television and on-line, advertising for alcoholic drinks and food products that contain alcohol should not be scheduled around any programme or content likely to appeal to a large children s audience. This includes sponsorship of programmes scheduled next to programmes likely to appeal to children. 51

52 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services In print, advertising for alcoholic drinks and food products that contain alcohol is not permitted in content aimed at children, for example, children s magazines. In all media, sponsorship by alcohol brands and companies whose name is directly linked to an alcohol brand is not permitted for content aimed at children or very likely to appeal to children. Content that might attract a large children s audience is not limited to simply content aimed at children. It may include family content, such as Doctor Who or Dancing with the Stars. 7.3 BETTING, GAMING, GAMBLING, CASINOS AND LOTTERIES In many territories restrictions apply to advertising for betting, gaming, gambling, casinos and lotteries. In addition such advertising should be suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. Advertising for betting, gaming, gambling, casinos and lotteries is not allowed around content aimed at children. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. In all cases, the Advertising Standards Guardian must refer any proposal for sponsorship by betting, gaming or gambling organisations and casinos to their Editorial Director. See also section 7.18 (The National Lottery) and section 7.24 (Scratch cards). 7.4 CHARITIES, FOUNDATIONS AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS The BBC brand must not be used to endorse or promote third parties. The BBC s Editorial Guidelines state that we have a duty to remain impartial; we should strive to reflect a wide range of opinion on current affairs or matters of public policy. For these reasons, any advertising for charities and foundations (as well as non-governmental organisations or NGOs) must also be handled carefully. Advertising may be acceptable where it is not likely to raise questions about the BBC s impartiality and the organisation is unlikely to bring the BBC into disrepute and their charitable message does not contain any political or lobbying calls to action: 52

53 February 2013 they may contain simple factual information about the aims of the charity, and donation and fundraising messages. they must not contain political messages or direct calls for lobbying action, for example, calls to petition a Member of Parliament. the landing page of any website referenced in the advertisement should not prominently feature any political messages or direct calls for lobbying action. care should be taken over the positioning of such advertisements around editorial content. Advertising by charities and NGOs must not appear directly alongside editorial content about subject matters on which the group has an interest (except where such advertising is being served randomly on a website). Such juxtapositions could raise questions about the impartiality of the BBC. For example, an advertisement in BBC Wildlife magazine for an anti-fur charity directly adjacent to an opinion piece by an anti-fur campaigner could give the perception that the magazine favoured an anti-fur stance. In all cases, such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. Sponsorship by and Joint Promotions with charities will rarely be accepted. On BBC World News, sponsorship by charities is not allowed. Any proposal for charity sponsorship or Joint Promotions must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must refer any proposal for sponsorship or joint promotions with charities to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy. See also section 7.21 (Political advertising and advertising about controversial subjects). 53

54 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 7.5 CONTRACEPTIVES AND FAMILY PLANNING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES Due care should be paid to the likely target audience and the sensitivities of the territories in which this advertising will appear. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 7.6 COSMETIC SURGERY Advertising for cosmetic surgery is not allowed around content aimed at children. 7.7 DATING SERVICES (INCLUDING DATING AGENCIES) Advertising for escort agencies or sex chat lines is not allowed. Advertising for dating services and dating agencies is acceptable where both the service and the advertising are of a non-sexual nature. Particular care should be taken to ensure the nature of the service is appropriate for the relevant BBC product or service. Websites associated with dating services must be checked to ensure the service is of a non-sexual nature. Advertising for any form of dating agency is not allowed around content aimed at children. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 7.8 FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS Due care should be paid to the likely target audience and the sensitivities of the territories in which such advertising may appear. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 54

55 February FINANCIAL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES In many territories restrictions apply to advertising for financial products and services. In addition such advertising should be suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. Advertisements for financial products and services with very high APRs, such a pay day loans will not normally be suitable for any BBC product or service. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian FIREWORKS Advertising for fireworks is not allowed around content aimed at children FOOD AND DRINKS Advertising for unhealthy food and drinks (such as foods and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar) is not allowed around content aimed at children where they suggest they are an alternative to a healthy, balanced, diet. Therefore, in content aimed at children all advertising for food and drinks must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the target audience. BBC Worldwide s Food Policy outlines the types of food and drink products to which a BBC Children s brand could be licensed. BBC Worldwide would not normally accept advertising around content aimed at children for food and drink products which fall outside these parameters. On television services regulated by Ofcom there are strict rules regarding food and drink advertising on services aimed at children, or likely to attract a significant children s audience. These can be found at PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_ See also section 5 (Content aimed at children). 55

56 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 7.12 GOVERNMENTS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES The BBC must be (and be seen to be) impartial and cannot support, endorse or promote any particular political group or view. Advertising by and for governments and government agencies must be handled with great care to ensure that the reputation of the BBC as an impartial newsgathering organisation cannot be questioned. For example, government advertising connected to climate change may be controversial and therefore not suitable. Advertising may be acceptable for some government and government agency initiatives where it does not jeopardise the good reputation of the BBC. See section 2.2 (The Reputation of the BBC). Examples include: safety campaigns such as Firework safety or Drink Driving campaigns. information campaigns such as those about annual tax returns, industry kite mark schemes, recommended alcohol limits or entry visa requirements. tourism agencies, such as the Yorkshire Tourism Board or the Cyprus Tourism Office. trade and investment boards, such as Invest in Canada. advertisements of a commercial nature such as for DVLA personalised number plates. Care should also be taken regarding the execution of such advertisements. It is important that they are not of a campaigning nature; appear to promote contentious viewpoints; or to attempt to alter views about the nation where these raise issues of impartiality. Advertising by governments or government agencies for territories to which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (or equivalent) advises against travel may not be suitable. Similarly advertising for countries where the BBC is not allowed to report news will not be appropriate. Advice in such circumstances should be sought from BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. Each separate proposal to accept government or government agency advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian who should ensure it is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. 56

57 For all government advertising which is not by a tourism or trade board/organisation, the ASG must consult their Editorial Director. The Advertising Standards Guardian must also approve the final creative. February 2013 Advertisement features and sponsorship by governments and government agencies is not normally allowed except sponsorship by a government funded tourism or trade board/organisation. All such proposals must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must refer any proposal for advertisement features or sponsorship by governments and government agencies (excluding government funded tourism or trade board/organisation) to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News who will make onward referral to BBC Editorial Policy. See also section 7.21 (Political advertising and advertising about controversial subjects) Governments and Government Agencies advertising in content aimed at children Advertising by and for Governments or Government Agencies will very rarely be acceptable around content aimed at children. Exceptions may be where they contain generic noncontroversial campaigns, such as health or safety information. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director HEALTH AND BEAUTY PRODUCTS Advertising for health and beauty products around content aimed at children must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the target audience. 57

58 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 7.14 INFANT FORMULA (BABY MILK), INCLUDING FOLLOW-ON FORMULA The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting advertising for infant formula (baby milk) including follow-on formula and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. On Ofcom Licensed services, advertising of infant formula is not allowed. However advertising for follow-on formula is allowed LOBBY GROUPS Advertising by lobby groups will rarely be accepted and only when there is no political or lobbying calls to action and no implication of BBC endorsement. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it complies with local regulations and is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. See also section 7.21 (Political advertising and advertising about controversial subjects) MATCHES AND FIRE LIGHTERS Advertising for products which include matches and fire lighters around content aimed at children must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the target audience MEDICINES, PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS AND MEDICAL ADVICE In many territories restrictions apply to advertising for medicines, pharmaceutical products or for medical and personal advice. In addition such advertising should be suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Advertising for over the counter or prescription medicines is not allowed around content aimed at children. 58

59 February THE NATIONAL LOTTERY (IN THE UK) The National Lottery is an institution regulated by an Act of Parliament. It interests millions of BBC viewers who either buy lottery tickets or who are recipients of Lottery grants. National Lottery draws are national events and the BBC covers these draws as a service to viewers and listeners. However, the BBC does not promote the Lottery or directly promote the purchase of Lottery tickets or cards. If any advertising is carried for the National Lottery there must be no mention of BBC programming or presenters that cover the lottery draw in the advertisement. Advertising for the National Lottery is not allowed around content aimed at children because children under 16 cannot purchase lottery tickets. Sponsorship by the National Lottery will not normally be acceptable. The ASG must refer any proposal for sponsorship by the National Lottery to BBC Worldwide Commercial Policy or the relevant Editorial Director for BBC Global News. They will consult Chief Adviser, BBC Editorial Policy THE OCCULT AND PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES Advertising that is designed to promote the occult is not allowed. However, in content not aimed at children, advertising for services such as horoscopes or tarot card readings, which the audience is likely to regard as merely entertainment and that offer generalised advice that would be applicable to a large section of the population, may be acceptable. All such advertising should be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure that it is of an appropriate entertainment nature and is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service PERSONAL AND CONSUMER ADVICE In many territories restrictions apply to advertising providing advice on personal and consumer issues. In addition such advertising should be suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. The relevant Advertising Standards Guardian should normally provide Operational Guidance about accepting such advertising and when referral should be made to them. If such parameters have not been agreed, all advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. Sponsorship is not allowed by agencies, institutions or services offering advice on personal or consumer problems. 59

60 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 7.21 POLITICAL ADVERTISING AND ADVERTISING ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL SUBJECTS To ensure the BBC s impartiality is maintained, political advertising (as defined in section 321 of the Communications Act 2003) is not allowed. Political advertising (as defined in section 321 of the Communications Act 2003) is: an advertisement which is inserted by or on behalf of a body whose objects are wholly or mainly of a political nature. an advertisement which is directed towards a political end. an advertisement which has a connection with an industrial dispute. Objects of a political nature and political ends include each of the following: influencing the outcome of elections or referendums, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. bringing about changes of the law in the whole or a part of the United Kingdom or elsewhere, or otherwise influencing the legislative process in any country or territory. influencing the policies or decisions of local, regional or national governments, whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. influencing the policies or decisions of persons on whom public functions are conferred by or under the law of the United Kingdom or of a country or territory outside the United Kingdom. influencing the policies or decisions of persons on whom functions are conferred by or under international agreements. influencing public opinion on a matter which, in the United Kingdom, is a matter of public controversy. promoting the interests of a party or other group of persons organised, in the United Kingdom or elsewhere, for political ends. Also to ensure the BBC s impartiality is maintained, advertising which advocates or promotes a particular view in relation to a controversial issue is not allowed. Advertising of a political or controversial nature includes any advertising for products or services which advocate or promote a particular view relating to any form of politics. See also sections 7.4 (Charities, Foundations and non-governmental organisations), 7.12 (Governments and government agencies) and 7.15 (Lobby groups). In addition to political parties, advertising of a political or controversial nature can also include advertising by governments, charities and international organisations where their message is of a political or controversial nature. For example, advertising for a campaign to 60

61 February 2013 ban foxhunting or to oppose airport expansion, or advertising by a government department about controversial immunisation programmes would not be allowed. Any form of advertising which includes an endorsement by a politician would not normally be acceptable. In determining whether subjects are controversial, we should take account of: the level of public and political contention and debate. how topical the subjects are. sensitivity in terms of relevant audiences beliefs and culture. whether the subjects are matters of intense debate or importance in a particular nation, region or discrete area likely to comprise at least a significant part of the audience. a reasonable view on whether the subjects are serious. the distinction between matters grounded in fact and those which are a matter of opinion. (Source: BBC Editorial Guidelines 2010 section 4.4.6) 7.22 PORNOGRAPHY AND SEXUAL SERVICES (INCLUDING ESCORT AGENCIES) Advertising for pornography (such as British Board of Film Classification rated R18 films), sex chat lines, sexually explicit publications and websites, sexual products and services is not allowed. Advertising for escort agencies is not allowed RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS AND BODIES Advertising by religious organisations and bodies is not allowed. This includes advertising that is designed to promote any religion, cults and/or sects. advertising for products or services which advocate or promote a particular religious or cult view. Advertising of a non-religious nature which includes reference to religion may be allowed. For example, a holiday brochure which includes a small number of religious holidays amongst a wider group of activities. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. 61

62 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 7.24 SCRATCH CARDS (INSERTED INTO BBC PUBLICATIONS) The BBC does not run commercial scratch cards of its own. We do not carry any form of commercial scratch cards in our children s and teen titles and do not carry text-to-win or phone-to-win scratch cards in any of our titles. Any proposal to carry any form of scratch cards in a publication must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must refer any such proposal to BBC Worldwide Magazines Unit TELEPHONE AND TEXT SERVICES Advertising for premium rate telephone and text services around content aimed at children must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service TOBACCO PRODUCTS, SMOKING ACCESSORIES AND TOBACCO MANUFACTURERS To protect the reputation of the BBC brand, advertising for tobacco products, tobacco manufacturers and any smoking accessories (including rolling papers and lighters) is not allowed. Where a tobacco manufacturer also manufactures non smoking-related goods, advertising for such goods may be permissible where this is allowed by local regulations. In such circumstances the advertising must not promote smoking products or be seen as a backdoor route to tobacco advertising. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director TOILETRIES AND COSMETICS Advertising for toiletries and cosmetics around content aimed at children must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the target audience TOY GUNS AND TOY WEAPONS Advertising for toy guns is not allowed around content aimed at children. Advertising for any other form of toy weapon (such as water pistols) around content aimed at children must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is appropriate for the target audience. 62

63 February VITAMINS AND DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS Advertising for dietary supplements is not allowed around content aimed at children. Advertising for vitamins may be acceptable around content aimed at children where the product is not labelled keep out of the reach of children. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service WEAPONS AND WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS To protect the reputation of the BBC brand, advertising for weapons, replica weapons, weapons manufacturers, arms fairs and gun clubs is not allowed. This includes self-defence protection devices such as mace sprays. Advertising for antique weapons that are clearly presented as antique, collectable items, and not working models, may be acceptable. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian to ensure it is suitable for the relevant BBC product or service. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. A weapons manufacturer who is also a manufacturer of a range of other products may be allowed to advertise those other products where this is allowed by local regulations, so long as there are no links or references in the advertisement to any weapons. All such advertising must be referred to the relevant Advertising Standards Guardian. The ASG must consult their Editorial Director. Advertisement features for, and sponsorship by, any type of weapon is not allowed. See also section 7.28 (Toy guns and toy weapons). 63

64 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 8. INDEX Ad Avails, 15 Ad Networks online, 20 Adhesives and aerosols, 51 Advertisement Features, 13 Advertisement Features, promotion of, 14 Advertisement formats online, 17 Advertiser Funded Programmes, 30 Advertising Standards Guardian, 4 Advertising, third party supplied, 10 Advertising, total amount of, 10 Advice and interpretation, 5 Aerosols. See Adhesives and Aerosols AFP. See Advertiser Funded Programmes Alcohol, 51 ASG. See Advertising Standards Guardian Augmented reality, advertising featuring, 12 Automated buying platforms, 20 BBC Programming, sponsorship of, 37 BBC Talent, Advertisement Features and, 14 BBC.com, sponsorship on, 42 Beauty products, 57 Behavioural Advertising, online, 19 Betting, gaming, gambling, casinos and lotteries, 52 Branded blocks, advertising around, 10 Business programmes, sponsorship of, 37 Buyouts, online. See Takeovers Casinos, 52 Channel sponsorship, 38 Charities, 52 Children s programmes, sponsorship of, 38 Children's content, additional prohibited categories around, 46 Compliance process, 4 Conflicts of interest, advertising and, 12 Consumer advice, 59 Consumer review/advice content, sponsorship of, 29 Consumer review/advice programmes, sponsorship of, 39 Content syndication arrangements, sponsorship and, 30 Content which cannot be sponsored, 28 Contextual advertising, magazines, 24 Contextual advertising, online, 17 Contraceptives and family planning products and services, 54 Controversial subjects, 60 Cosmetic surgery, 54 Cosmetics, 62 Current Affairs programming, sponsorship of, 36 Data protection, magazines, 24 Data protection, online, 19 Dating services, 54 Dietary supplements, 63 Distinction, 8 Drinks. See Food and drinks Editorial integrity and Independence, 8 Endorsement, 9 Environmental claims, 11 Escort agencies. See Pornography and sexual services Events and Exhibitions, advertising at, 25 Events and exhibitions, sponsorship of, 44 Family Planning products and services, 54 Feminine hygiene products, 54 Financial products and services, 55 Fire lighters. See Matches and fire lighters Fireworks, 55 Follow-on formula, 58 Food and drinks, 55 Foundations, 52 Gambling, 52 Games Shows, 39 Governments and government agencies, 56 Health and beauty products, 57 Infant formula (baby milk), including followon formula, 58 Infomercials, 15 Introduction Agencies. See Dating Services Joint Promotions, 49 Lawful, 6 64

65 February 2013 Lifestyle content, sponsorship of. See Consumer review/advice content, sponsorship of Lobby groups, 58 Lotteries, 52 Magazine advertising, 22 Magazine sponsorship, 43 Matches and fire lighters, 58 Medical advice, 58 Medicines, 58 Naming Rights, television sponsorship and, 35 National Lottery, 59 News programming, sponsorship of, 36 NGOs, 52 Non-Governmental Organisations, 52 Occult, the, 59 Online advertisement formats, 17 Online advertising, 17 Online sponsorship, 40 Organisations which cannot sponsor content, 27 Paranormal activities, 59 Personal advice, 59 Pharmaceutical products, 58 Political advertising, 60 Pornography and sexual services, 61 Presenters. See BBC Talent Programme trails and short form programmes, sponsorship and, 35 Promotion of sponsored content online, 31, 41 Public Service Announcements. See Governments and government agencies Radio advertising, 15, 16 Reader Offers, 50 Religious organisations and bodies, 61 Reputation of the BBC, 7 Scratch cards, 62 Seperation. See Distinction Share of voice online. See Takeovers Short form programmes, sponsorship and, 35 Smoking accessories, 62 Social media services, advertising on, 20 Solus advertising, 22 Sponsor, choice of, 29 Sponsor s competitions, 45 Sponsorship credits, events and exhibitions, 45 Sponsorship credits, magazine, 43 Sponsorship credits, online, 41 Sponsorship credits, television, 33 Sponsorship, events and exhibitions, 44 Sponsorship, general rules, 26 Sponsorship, magazine, 43 Sponsorship, online, 40 Sponsorship, restrictions for Events and Exhibitions with restrictions, 44 Sponsorship, restrictions for online content, 42 Sponsorship, restrictions for television and radio content, 36 Sponsorship, television, 32 Syndicated content, advertising around, 10 Takeovers, 18 Talent, 23 Telephone and text services, 62 Television advertising, 15 Text services, 62 Third party supplied advertising, 10 Title sponsorship on television. See Naming Rights, television sponsorship and Tobacco products, smoking accessories and tobacco manufacturers, 62 Toiletries and cosmetics, 62 Tourism Boards. See Governments and government agencies Toy guns and toy weapons, 62 Transparency, 8 Vitamins and dietary supplements, 63 Weapons and weapons manufacturers, 63 65

66 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services NOTES 66

67 February 2013 NOTES 67

68 Advertising and Sponsorship Guidelines for BBC Commercial Services 68