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TOTAL LICENSING
Advertising and promoting food
products to children in the UK
Kelvyn Gardner, Managing
you roll all these media in, we have restrictions which now
affect many, many licensing businesses.
Director of LIMA UK, takes a
As an industry, we have not been sufficiently aware of these
look at new legislation in the
policy consultations by Ofcom and CAP until it was far too
UK which has a profound impact
late to argue our case.
Obviously, this is a very sensitive issue and there very strong
on the licensing and promotional
arguments in favour of the ban that have been raised by
industries.
consumer health groups. From an industry point of view,
however, we would point out that great strides have been
In February, Ofcom issued their long-awaited press release
taken by licensees and licensors alike to support healthy-
containing their final position as regards to revisions to the
eating initiatives over licensed food. We never really got the
TV Advertising Standards Code. The full document can be
chance to put our case before collective minds were made
downloaded from their website:
up, as it were.
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/02/nr_20070222
Under the revisions, television advertising to children aged The licensing industry is still something of a ‘Cinderella’
16 and under of foods containing high levels of fat, sugar business in terms of our profile and, indeed, influence, in
and salt ( HFSS foods ) - as defined by the nutrient profil- government and wider business-community circles. As
ing of the Food Standards Agency – will be banned during such, we do not have the power or inside-knowledge of
all children’s programmes and programmes which, though bodies such as the IPA ( Institute of Practitioners in Adver-
not specifically designed for
“From an industry point of view,
tising ) which represents the big-
children, are watched by a dis- spending users of TV and other
proportionately high number of
we would point out that great
advertising in the UK. Sadly, the
children. The ban ends at 9pm
strides have been taken by
section of the Advertisers Asso-
each evening. The ruling comes
licensees and licensors alike to
ciation (another powerful indus-
into effect from April 2007 to
support healthy-eating initiatives
try body) which deals with food
April 2008.
over licensed food. We never
(the Food Advertising Unit) in
I’ve spoken to a good many li- its submission to Ofcom actually
censing businesses, and many of
really got the chance to put our
suggested giving up character li-
them do not realise that the use
case before collective minds were
censing as a promotional tool
of licensed characters in such
made up, as it were”.
– in effect licensing was a ‘sacrifi-
advertising is specifically banned cial lamb’ offered up to keep Of-
(see document Page 48). Many companies are also under com and the government away from what the FAU would
the illusion that, this being a TV-only decision (as they have regard as greater risks to their overall business, such as the
come to believe from reading the headlines only) it will not dreaded ‘traffic light’ food labelling system. This shows us
affect their business. that we can rely on few outside bodies for support. Praise
In fact, CAP (the Committee of Advertising Practice) has must go, however, to the Food and Drink Federation, who
itself decided to adopt its own restrictions to mirror Of- have been sympathetic to and supportive of a number of
com’s TV restrictions. CAP controls advertising media such LIMA members who have sought guidance over these new
as print, including all children’s magazines, posters, in new restrictions.
media and the cinema, and all sales promotions. By the time For myself, the Ofcom decision is a further spur to my
drive to get LIMA, and licensing generally, more widely
recognised and valued by government in general and the
DTI in particular. For those of you reading this, keep your
To subscribe to the digital issue of
eyes and ears open, and don’t be afraid to contact me over
any government or NGO initiative which you hear of that
Total Licensing, visit: might have implications for the licensing industry. We may
http://www.totallicensing.com/reg.htm
have been caught by this one, but let’s make sure it doesn’t
happen again.
38
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