The Advertising Standards Authority is the regulatory body in New Zealand which investigates complaints by the public about offensive or misleading advertising.

Many people in advertising rarely deal with the ASA and tend to think the organization is small-minded and petty in its dealings with them.

Because the ASA relies on industry support for funding, they wanted a campaign to counteract negative perceptions of what they do.

Idea

A completely fictitious Government Department of Advertising Standards and Regulations was created as an example of what the state’s alternative to the ASA would be like. Letters were sent to 150 leading agency figures listing supposed infringements of one of their ads and directing them to dasr.org.nz.

At the website were ten examples of well-known NZ ads and a list of fridiculous complaints about them. For instance, the ad was too long, traffic rules had been infringed, the music used was annoying etc.

Have a look at the website. The examples are funny because they are so irrational. But they are only too likely if the advertising industry is not allowed to regulate itself.

If, on the website, anyone went to appeal against the fines, they were frustrated by a moving button. Only then did a pop-up screen appear, informing the viewer that it was a hoax: The ASA might not be perfect, but it was better than the alternative.

Results

The website attracted 2,162 unique visitors from 21 countries in two days.

In total, more people have now visited the site than actually work in advertising in New Zealand.

The average time spent on site: 02:16

83 emails were sent to the heads of Advertising Agencies and to their respective clients with 916 unique opens in two days.

Editor’s Comment

It is a thankless task, being an industry watchdog, but also incredibly important. Back in the 1980’s, Marek Kaniewska shot an amazing commercial for Kronenbourg in France, which cross-cut between images of a mother shopping in the city with her son and the same woman having sex a business magnate on his office sofa.

Within a week all booze advertising on TV was banned and swingeing restrictions imposed which have never been lifted.

That’s what happens when government steps in.

This is a classic Direct Mail campaign in that God is in the detail. It’s only when you read the letters and appreciate how the recipients would have been completely suckered by them that you begin to appreciate the skill with which the campaign was put together.

We like to judge ads in a second or two. You know almost immediately if a print ad is good or crap. Same with a TV commercial. With mail, you have to give it time. So do explore this idea, please, because it’s not just funny, it’s important.

Client: New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority

Product: Advertising Standards Authority

Title: Department of Advertising Standards and Regulations

Media: DM, EDM, Interactive, Digital

Country: New Zealand

Date: June 2011

Agency: Barnes, Catmur and friends

Creative Team

Executive Creative Director: Paul Catmur, Daniel Barnes

Art Director: Brad Stratton

Copywriter: Jesse Stevens, Matt Weavers

Production:

Account Manager: Nicholas Gallagher

Head of Digital: Greg Elisara