The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (abbreviated ASA) was an independent entity organised and financed by members of the marketing communications industry of South Africa. Its purpose was to manage South Africa's voluntary, self-regulating system of advertising.
The ASA worked with a variety of marketing communication industry stakeholders to ensure that advertising content in the country met the requirements of its Code of Advertising Practice and to control advertising content in the South African public's interest. The ASA of South Africa's Code of Advertising Practice was based on the Consolidated ICC Code of Marketing and Advertising Communication Practice prepared by the International Chamber of Commerce. Member organisations, including advertisers, advertising agencies, and the media agreed upon advertising standards in the ASA code and worked to effect the swift correction or removal of any advertising that failed to meet their agreed-upon standards.
The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) superseded the ASA in terms of administering the Code of Advertising Practice.
Contents
Members
Member organisations include:
Association for Communication and Advertising
Association of Collective Investments (ACI)
Cinemark (Pty) Ltd
Cosmetic Toiletry & Fragrance Association of South Africa
Furniture Traders' Association of South Africa
Health Products Association of Southern Africa
Hospital Association of South Africa
Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use
National Association of Broadcasters of South Africa
Out of Home Media
Pet Food Institute of Southern Africa, The
Pharmaceutical Manufacturers' Association of South Africa
Print Media SA
Printing Industries Federation of South Africa
Retail Motor Industry Organisation
South African Optometric Association
Timeshare Institute of Southern Africa
Notable rulings
In 2008 ASA ruled that a television advertisement by GloMobile featuring Jeff Dunham's character Achmed the Dead Terrorist was offensive to Muslims and ordered GloMobile to withdraw the advertisement.
History
In September 2018, the ASA was forced into liquidation.
In November 2018, the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) superseded the ASA in terms of administering the Code of Advertising Practice.