Advertisers accuse Which? over “seriously misleading” report
16 Jul 2008
Responding to the report published today by the so-called consumer organisation Which?, ISBA’s Public Affairs Director Ian Twinn said: “This report is seriously misleading. It accuses advertisers of irresponsible behaviour online despite the fact that online ads are subject to the same degree of regulation, through the advertising codes, as broadcast and print ads.
“The report goes on to say that advertisers are increasingly targeting teenagers online but Which? have wrongly highlighted practices that are not aimed at young teens but instead at the over-16s. Any under-16s seeing these ads will have had to lie about their age.
“The report simply misses the point. Where obesity is concerned, advertising is not the issue. Tackling the problem needs to involve a much wider range of factors such as parental responsibility, healthy diets and activity levels.
“Advertisers are continuing to work in partnership with government to address the problem.”
