Former Liberal Democrat Business and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson has been appointed as one of four new appointees to the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice. From Marketing Magazine:
As one of four new appointees to the BCAP (Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice) committee, Swinson will be responsible for advising on broadcast advertising codes of conduct.
Swinson is no stranger to advertising regulation, particularly surrounding the marketing industry’s portrayal of women, having in the past objected to ads.
In 2012, Swinson complained about a L’Oreal ad featuring actress Rachel Weisz, objecting that it had been digitally manipulated and claiming that it “misrepresented the results that the product could achieve”. In March this year, while she was still minister for women and equalities under the Coalition government, she backed Omnicom’s Omniwomen female leadership event..
She also complained, before she was a minister, about two other L’Oreal ads. This BBC report has an interview with her on the day that they were upheld. It’s good that someone with her track record of work on body image and sexism in the media and marketing has been appointed to this role.
One Comment
the elephant in the room is the internet where content can appear from anywhere. Also since all the Advertising Practice organisations depend on a levy their future income could be affected as streaming takes over from terrestrial.