While many journalists might think it a fine thing to encourage people to read newspapers from an early age, publishers can’t advertise directly to children – as The Sun has just found.
The Advertising Standards Authority has censured the paper for a TV ad promoting its football cards.
Because it featured children and references to pocket money, the ASA said: “We considered that the presentation of the ad, especially the use of Ian Wright talking to a group of children, was such that it was likely to be seen to directly target children. Because we considered some young viewers would understand the reference to pocket money as an encouragement to purchase, we considered the ad directly exhorted children to buy the Sun to obtain the promotional football cards.”
You can read the full adjudication here. The ad as now been banned by the ASA.
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