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7. Long Advertisements
This document was originally published by the ITC, one of the organisations replaced by Ofcom at the end of 2003. It represents Ofcom's current policy.
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No box - Applicable to all channels |
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Tint box - Only applicable to Channels 3-5 |
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Keyline box - Only applicable to services other than Channels 3-5 |
| 7.1 | Identification of Long Advertisements |
| 7.1.1 | Any advertisement that lasts longer than one minute should be particularly carefully assessed to ensure that there is no risk of confusion with programme material. |
| 7.1.2 | Except where the style makes it fully apparent that it is an advertisement, any advertisement which lasts more than a minute must be flagged as such (eg, by superimposed text) at the beginning, and at the end (if its character as an advertisement is not clearly established at the end). |
| 7.1.3 | Where an advertisement adopts a programme style (eg, documentary, studio interview, cookery demonstration) there must in addition be a five second reminder to viewers of its advertising nature in every full minute of duration and a three second reminder in any part minute over 20 seconds. |
| NOTE:
7.1.3 does not apply to material on dedicated teleshopping or self-promotional channels (see Section 8) or where the presence in the schedule of an extended advertising feature such as a teleshopping 'window' (see Section 8.1.2) is separately identified to viewers in programme information and published listings. In this case it will be sufficient for its commercial purpose to be identified by optical and acoustic means at the beginning and end of each item. |
| 7.1.4 | Licensees are reminded the ITC Advertising Standards Code forbids advertisements to refer to themselves as 'programmes'. |
| 7.2 | Long Advertisements on Channels 3-5 |
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| | (a) Without the ITC's prior approval no advertisement may exceed seven minutes' duration.
(b) Airtime for advertisements of three and a half to seven minutes' duration must be drawn wholly or principally from the same clock hour with any shortfall coming from the closest immediately adjacent clock hour.
(c) Without the ITC's prior approval, advertisements lasting longer than three and a half minutes must not be broadcast in the periods 6pm 11pm and 7am 9am.
NOTE:
The requirement in Rule 7.2(A) (a) above does not apply to advertisements, including teleshopping, broadcast between midnight and 6am in the time aggregated from the advertising allowance between those hours. (See 8.1.4 below). |
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