Sets standards for advertising, sales promotion, and direct marketing practices in the UK.
Definition
Excerpt
1.1 Marketing communications should be legal, decent, honest and truthful.
1.2 Marketing communications must reflect the spirit, not merely the letter, of the Code.
1.3 Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.
1.4 Marketers must comply with all general rules and with relevant sector-specific rules.
1.5 No marketing communication should bring advertising into disrepute
1.6 Marketing communications must respect the principles of fair competition generally accepted in business.
1.7 Any unreasonable delay in responding to the ASA's enquiries will normally be considered a breach of the Code.
1.7.1 The full name and geographical business address of the marketer must be given to the ASA or CAP without delay if requested.
1.8 Marketing communications must comply with the Code. Primary responsibility for observing the Code falls on marketers. Others involved in preparing or publishing marketing communications, such as agencies, publishers and other service suppliers, also accept an obligation to abide by the Code.
1.8.1 [Deleted 6 November 2018]
1.9 Marketers should deal fairly with consumers.
Legality
1.10 Marketers have primary responsibility for ensuring that their marketing communications are legal. Marketing communications should comply with the law and should not incite anyone to break it.
1.10.1 Marketers must not state or imply that a product can legally be sold if it cannot.
Related cases
Emma Matratzen GmbH is being accused for misleading consumers by creating an impression that their sale was time-limited with a countdown clock, despite starting another sale for new customers immediately after the "flash sale" ended.