The Out of Home Media Association of Aotearoa (OOHMAA) has launched an industry-first Placement Policy, which will take an active role in reducing the exposure of restricted messaging to children and young people.
The initiative is to ensure the Out of Home industry is operating in the best interest of the community. It is designed to work in conjunction with the OOHMAA code of conduct and industry self-regulatory codes that govern the content of advertisements.
Developed in consultation with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), the Association of New Zealand Advertisers (ANZA), and The Food Industry Taskforce, the policy aims to ensure all industry members comply with community expectations of the placement of Out of Home advertising.
Imposing restrictions will include:
- Products illegal for sale to minors cannot be advertised within a 300 metre sightline of the main entrance to a primary, intermediate or secondary school.
- Occasional food and beverages cannot be advertised within a 300 metre sightline of the main entrance of primary or intermediate schools.
These restrictions, as agreed by OOHMAA, are the most effective way to ensure signs are not legible from school grounds or as children travel to school. Strict measures also take place globally with Australia operating within a 150 metre sightline and the UK, within a 200 metre sightline.
Chief executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, Hilary Souter, says “It is great to see self- regulation in action with the Out of Home sector taking this initiative to support responsible ad placement and assist advertisers and agencies with code compliance.”
General manager of OOHMAA, Natasha O’Connor says being experts in advertising, OOHMAA wants to ensure the reach and power Out of Home has, is used to make a positive difference.
“The OOHMAA Placement Policy illustrates that the Out of Home industry acknowledges its responsibility to operate in a manner that is in line with community expectations, and as such, has pro-actively introduced this new self- regulating policy,” says O’Conner.
The Placement Policy will come to effect on 1 July 2020.
