Social Responsibility

Note: This advice is given by the CAP Executive about non-broadcast advertising. It does not constitute legal advice. It does not bind CAP, CAP advisory panels or the Advertising Standards Authority.

All marketing communications should be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and society (Rule 1.3). Marketers should not use approaches that are likely to encourage socially irresponsible behaviour. The ASA has upheld complaints about social responsibility against a diverse range of marketing communications. Some decisions have centred on unsafe, irresponsible or illegal acts being depicted, condoned or encouraged. In some cases ads can be considered irresponsible because they are not targeted and violent or sexual content is placed in media where it is likely to be seen by children.

Social responsibility covers many things, and some sections of the Code have a specific rule concerning social responsibility in a certain sector. The following topics and issues should be considered to ensure that advertising is not socially irresponsible.

Alcohol
Drugs
Tobacco
Gambling
Motoring
Body image
Children and Targeting
Objectification
Violence

Alcohol

Ads for or featuring alcohol must be socially responsible and must not contain anything which is likely to encourage unwise drinking styles or encourage excessive drinking (rule 18.1).

The ASA ruled that a Facebook ad for a wine retailer was irresponsible because references to cheap and massively discounted wine, alongside the image of someone drinking an almost full bottle of wine directly from the bottle, were likely to indicate a drinking style that was excessive and lacked control. (Banquist Ltd, 6 March 2024).

See also Section 18 and multiple Advice Online “Alcohol” entries.

Drugs

The ASA usually takes a strict line on explicit references to drugs. Ads should not condone or encourage drug use. Even if an ad does not actively encourage drug use featuring drugs in ads without actively condemning their use is likely to be seen as encouraging apathy towards drugs and as such irresponsible.

The ASA considered that the claims “London loves acid”, “Poppers” and “Blow” in a grocery delivery ad were irresponsible because they would encourage apathy towards dangerous substances by presenting drugs as a subject of humour (Gorillas Technologies UK Ltd 15 February 2023).

The ASA also ruled that an ad for a music single that featured the consumption of illegal drugs, including a bottle of amphetamine tablets and a powder consumed through a rolled-up bank note was irresponsible. The song lyrics also referenced being “drugged up”. (Bamby H2O 24 March 2021)

Tobacco

Smoking should not be presented in an appealing manner, condoned, or encouraged. The ASA upheld complaints about an Instagram post by a TV personality which featured members of a wedding party smoking or holding cigars. It considered that the ad’s principal focus was on smoking and it was depicted as an enjoyable group activity and that the use of slow motion, the formal setting and the jazz-style music added to the stylised and aspirational tone. The ASA concluded that the ad was irresponsible because the video presented smoking in an appealing manner and suggested that it was part of a glamourous and aspirational lifestyle (Endrick Clothing Ltd, 8 January 2025).

Gambling

The CAP Code requires that all gambling advertising is socially responsible and advertisers should ensure they respect the need to protect children, young people and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by advertising that features or promotes gambling (Rule 16.1). Marketing communications should not be directed at those aged below 18 years (or 16 years for some types of gambling) through the selection of media or context in which they appear (Rule 16.3.13). Generally, marcoms should not imply gambling can solve financial or personal problems, is indispensable, is a rite of passage or linked with sexual success (Rule 16.3).

The ASA ruled that the term ‘Ladbucks’ was likely to be of strong appeal to people aged under 18 because of it’s similarity to in-game currencies that appealed to that age group (LC International Ltd, 11 June 2025).

Marketers might want to ask the Gambling Commission or the Gambling Trust's Public Awareness Taskforce (see www.gambleaware.co.uk) for information about responsible gambling and educational and health warnings.

Motoring

Marketing communications should not encourage motorists to drive irresponsibly or break the law (Rule 19.3) or depict vehicles in dangerous or unwise situations in a way that might encourage irresponsible driving (Rule 19.2).

The ASA upheld complaints about a video-on demand ad for a chocolate bar that featured a car chase and emphasised the speed of driving, ruling that the ad was irresponsible because it condoned unsafe driving (Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK Ltd, 11 June 2025).

See Section 19 and Motoring.

Body image

Advertisers should ensure that they don’t portray particular body types in an irresponsible manner, imply people can only be happy if they look a certain way, or present an unhealthy body image as aspirational.

Ads must not exploit consumers’ insecurities or encourage consumers to focus on concerns about their bodies as a reason for having cosmetic surgery. The ASA upheld complaints about a Facebook post for a cosmetic surgery clinic which featured before and after photos of a woman who had had breast augmentation surgery alongside text which stated, “Check out this amazing before and after breast surgery. These breasts now look perkier, fuller and younger!”. The ASA considered that the ad would be understood by consumers to be promoting a body image that was youthful and focused on reversing the natural ageing process, and was therefore irresponsible for exploiting insecurities about this natural ageing process to sell cosmetic surgery (Linia Cosmetic Surgery, 4 May 2022).

Advertisers should also take care to ensure that ads do not include gender stereotypes that are likely to cause harm (rule 4.9). It is acceptable for ads to feature glamorous, attractive, successful, aspirational or healthy people, but they should not suggest that an individual’s happiness or emotional wellbeing depends on them conforming to an idealised gender stereotypical body shape or physical features.

See Social Responsibility: Body Image, Harm and Offence: Gender stereotypes and Cosmetic Interventions: Social Responsibility.

Children and targeting

Marketing communications addressed to or featuring children should contain nothing that is likely to result in their physical, mental or moral harm and should not exploit their credulity, loyalty, vulnerability or lack of experience (rule 5.1).

There are specific rules surrounding the targeting of ads for age-restricted products such as alcohol, gambling, lotteries, HFSS foods and e-cigarettes. As well as considering these rules advertisers must ensure that sexual, violent or other graphic content which may cause fear or distress is targeted appropriately. A complaint about an ad for an adult chat line which appeared on the back of a paper and featured images of partially nude women was upheld because the ASA considered that as the content was on the outside of a paper it could be seen by children (Digital Media Ltd t/a Luv2Chat, 21 September 2016).

Ads should not depict children taking part in unsafe activities (Mondelez UK Ltd, 19 January 2022) and children should never be shown in a sexualised way. Symbols of youth, such as school uniforms, will also be unacceptable if used in a sexual context. (See(Guangzhou YH Sporting Goods Co Ltd, 19 October 2022, Grandbing Technology Co Ltd, 24 January 2024, Nobody’s Child Ltd, 30 March 2016, and American Apparel (UK) Ltd, 18 March 2015).

See Section 5, Children: Targeting, Children: Safety, Children: Sexual Imagery, and other “Children” entries.

Objectification

Ads are likely to be considered irresponsible if they objectify the people in the ad. Using models in a sexual way where this has no relation to the product is likely to be problematic, as is focussing on model’s bodies while obscuring their faces. In 2021 the ASA upheld a complaint about a magazine ad for a clothing company which featured cropped close-up images of a woman’s buttocks in briefs printed with the words “FOLLOW ME”, and “REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT”. The ASA considered that the images, which focused on the women’s body parts while obscuring their faces, in combination with the suggestive nature of the slogans stereotyped women by presenting them as sexual objects, and was therefore irresponsible, likely to cause serious offence and included a gender stereotype in a way that was likely to cause harm (Persons Unknown t/a KaiAviation, 23 June 2021).

Violence

Marketing communications must contain nothing that is likely to condone or encourage violence or anti-social behaviour (Rule 4.4). Approaches that feature violent scenarios or imagery, especially if its use is gratuitous, could be considered irresponsible and likely to condone violent behaviour.

In 2022 the ASA upheld complaints about an embedded YouTube ad for a VPN service that featured a conversation in which one presenter became increasingly frustrated and smashed a glass over the head of the other presenter, who was then shown whimpering with a blood-like substance on his face. (Surfshark B.V. 18 January 2023). The ASA acknowledged that the ad was intended to be humorous and satirical, and that the ad had a ‘slapstick’ tone. However, the ASA concluded that the ad irresponsibly featured scenes with a level of violence that was likely to cause distress to viewers that was unjustified and was irresponsibly targeted on YouTube where is might be seen by a general audience.

An ad that appeared in a mobile app game rated as suitable for all was banned in 2024 because it trivialised and condoned sexual assault and sexual violence and presented a woman as an object of sexual gratification. This use of a gender stereotype was also considered likely to cause harm. The ad featured a drunk soldier threatening to sexually assault a frightened and distressed woman (FunPlus International AG 17 January 2024)

Marketers should bear in mind that they could be made to pre-vet all posters for two years if they publish an offensive or socially irresponsible poster.

Also see entries on ''Alcohol'', ''Motoring'', ''Children'', ''Substantiation'' ''Drugs'' and ''Safety''.