IN BRIEF
The Advertising Standards Bureau, the advertising regulator, has
found that the VB Facebook pages are advertisements and subject to
the AANA Code of Ethics. Kelly Marshall and Matthew Hall look at
the recent decisions of the ABS and how this affects businesses
with any social media presence in Australia.
DECISION
The Advertising Standards Bureau (ASB) is an independent body
that is responsible for determining complaints made against
advertisers under the industry's self-regulatory Code of Ethics
(administered by the Australian Association of National
Advertisers, of which Swaab partner, Matthew Hall, is a director,
and the firm is a member).
Recently, following a number of complaints, the ASB determined
that the Facebook pages of VB (Carlton United Brewery) are
advertisements and subject to the Code. VB (CUB) was found to have
breached the Code in relation to discrimination / vilification of
gender and race, sex/ sexuality/nudity, and inappropriate
