Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 3 INTRODUCTION

Clearcast Newsletter Autumn 2014 CLEARCAST NEWSLETTER INTRODUCTION AUTUMN 2014 Hello from Chris Mundy 4

Editor Ellie Powell CLEAR 2014 Agency Survey 8 Contributors Ads at Christmas 12 Alice Shelley Bringing down the borders 14 Barry Noone Oh no! My contact is off sick 17 Chris Mundy Ingredient free claims 19 Ellie Powell Elliot Lord How are we doing? Our mid-year service levels 20 Jen Maguire Local TV clearance 22 Joanne Walker-Davidson Ovo Energy – a Copy Development case study 23 Jonathan Laury What has Clearcast’s Teleshopping team been up to? 26 Justyna Shala Kristoffer Hammer Matthew Baily CAST Niamh McGuinness Movers and Shakers 30 Seb Lynch A novelist in our midst – Jonathan Laury 32 Vicki Ford 5 minutes with a consultant – Dr Harriet Scorer 35 Inny & Outty 38 Design

We Made This www.wemadethis.co.uk THE BACK PAGE Dear Jackie 42 Did you know…? 44

2 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 3 INTRODUCTION

We’ve made a number of changes over the last few years which help Hello account for improvements in satisfaction, one being the introduction of the New Business Team. Last month we passed a milestone of 1,000 agencies, being less familiar with TV and needing a little extra support, that have been looked after by the team. We’ve added Chris Mundy resource to ensure we do this smoothly and this will benefit all agen- Managing Director cies as our other copy staff can focus all their efforts on clearing copy for those that are familiar with the process.

So to this issue of the newsletter. There’s something useful for every- It’s been a busy year so far at Clearcast. In particular, we have begun one, but I particularly recommend the latest advice on Christmas migrating agencies to our new copy clearance system, CopyCentral Ads (where our guidance has changed), the article on Cover when and this process will continue until all agencies are on the new sys- your copy executive is away (which we know sometimes causes frus- tem and we’ve closed down open submissions on Adway. If you’re a trations) and International Marketing (where we can help make super user on the system, look out for emails on the migration to help your life easier in a number of ways). Oh and I’ve learned what a par- make the process as smooth as possible for you and your team. A lot aben is, and you can too! of hard work has gone in to date, here at Clearcast, by agencies that have helped feed into and test the system, by Hogarth who have been Finally, if you haven’t been to our website for a while, take a look. developing it and at Adstream who have worked hard to help us have It’s been totally revamped, is useable while you’re on a shoot as it a smooth migration. To all of you, thanks! works on mobile devices, and includes a completely rewritten and searchable knowledge base. In advance of the transition, we undertook an agency survey to see how we’ve progressed since our last one in 2012 and provide a bench- Chris mark for a year’s time when we’ll have completed the migration process and be working fully on the new system. We’ve been pleased to www.clearcast.co.uk see that despite increasing volumes, satisfaction with Clearcast in key areas has continued to improve (and virtually all measures have either improved or stayed stable). We’re not resting on our laurels; we’re focusing on a few areas, such as consistency, where the survey suggests we can do better.

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2014 Agency Survey 8 Ads at Christmas 12 Bringing down the borders 14 Oh no! My contact is off sick 17 Ingredient free claims 19 How are we doing? Our mid-year service levels 20 Local TV clearance 22 Ovo Energy – a Copy Development case study 23 What has Clearcast’s Teleshopping team been up to? 26

clear6 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 7 CLEAR

The agency survey, which we launched back in 2009, is one channel 2014 we use to see how we’re doing and identify areas where there’s room for improvement. Thanks to those who took the time to complete the Agency Survey survey – your responses are certainly valuable to us and really do help us make improvements where they’re needed. Ellie Powell Communications Executive Below are this year’s headlines; we’ve achieved lots of best ever scores, which is great to see but also, as in previous years, identified areas where we’d like to improve.

‘Despite We saw a record proportion in the number of you who feel we serve the fact that you very well or quite well – 78%, up from 74% in 2012 (the last survey) with the proportion saying very well at its highest yet at 30%. Clearcast seem This figure has been improving steadily since 2009. to turn around more As many as 71% of you (the largest number yet) said your experience ads than ever, the of working with us is good or excellent, and we also saw the highest process seems ever proportion saying excellent, at 23%.

to be getting It’s great to see our training programme is so well known in the speedier.’ industry, but not surprising after five fantastic years which have seen well over a thousand of you walk through our doors for a session. A healthy 78% of you said you are aware of the popular CPD courses for agencies, advertisers and broadcasters. Of those attending, an Here at Clearcast, we believe strongly in listening to what you have impressive 84% said the courses were good or very good. to say about how well we’re providing the services we offer. Our core service continues to be approving your ads on behalf of the UK’s six It looks like we need to do a bit more to make you aware of our other major broadcasters and most of the survey questions are centred services like our International Ad Compliance Training videos and around this activity, but it’s also useful for us to understand your our Copy Development service, so make sure you turn to page 14 for awareness and perceptions of our other services too. some related enlightenment!

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The survey showed us some of you haven’t been fully satisfied with DELIVE WE R W Y E the way your work is covered when your usual Clearcast contact A LL S O O H N is away. Please do check out the article on page 17 which talks you W R E E S through how and why we do things the way we do in respect to cover. L P P E

O C

E T

A F

In an industry with ever shortening deadlines, we know how impor- N

tant turnaround times are to you. Despite increasing volumes, we E G X

A P

80 E

have maintained satisfaction with our turnaround times at 57% say- R

I C

E E ing good or excellent. We’re always looking for ways to improve our P turnaround times, within the constraints of doing the job we are here to do properly. Last year we increased our SLA targets and we continue to achieve these (see page 20 for our mid-year results). Encour- agingly a record 23% of you told us you thought our turnaround times Over 80% of you say we deliver (quite or very well) on Respect and were excellent. Expertise and nearly three quarters rate us as Just and Fair. Consist- ency has been previously identified as an area of further development Below are some great comments about our turnaround times: and as a result perceptions of consistency have improved to 69% now “Despite the fact that Clearcast seem to turn around more ads than saying we deliver on this. We’ll continue to work to improve the con- ever, the process seems to be getting speedier.” sistency of our service as well as being seen as solutions orientated (66%). “We sometimes have to act quite quickly on campaigns at short notice and the teams have worked brilliantly in helping us achieve this.” One major thing we’ve been really keen to do over the last few years is to clearly convey our role in the industry. It’s important to us that The percentage of you who are unhappy with turnaround times has we’re not viewed as the regulator… because we’re not; that’s Ofcom dramatically reduced year on year (36% in 2009, 25% in 2010, 21% and the ASA’s job. So we were really pleased that this year, for the in 2011, 20% in 2012 and 18% in 2014) and we will continue to try to first time, a greater proportion of you agreed that our role is to work bring this down. with agencies to get advertising to air rather than regulate advertising or provide consumer protection. We’ve seen a significant increase in the amount of you who strongly agree we deliver our values which are Respect, Expert, Just & Fair, Thanks once again to all of you who responded, let’s hope we give you Consistent and Solutions-Oriented. reason to score us even higher next time.

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· Mirrors hanging above fireplaces Ads at · Decorations on the mantelpiece (as long as they’re not dangling down) Christmas · Stockings hanging to the side of the fireplace (and not in any danger of catching fire) Jonathan Laury Copy Group Executive This is all dependent on a fireguard being in place and the fire itself not looking out of control. We will be looking at each fireplace on a case by case basis, so anything that looks like a bona fide fire hazard will still be rejected – stockings too close to flames, candles among flammable decorations for example – and if we receive an adjudication that sets a precedent then our view could change. Keep your eyes peeled for news articles on our website should that happen.

That’s number one on the Clearcast Christmas chart, here’s a run- down of the rest of the top 5: • If you reveal the shocking truth about Santa’s identity be prepared for an ex-kids restriction on your ad. Avid readers may remember our Christmas guidelines popping up • It can cause offence to use traditional hymns in adverts designed in previous newsletters, but we’ve got some brand spanking new to sell products, so please avoid this. Opt for carols and the pop guidance for this year. classics! • Unexpected snowballs, or any snowball to the face is likely to be Here at Clearcast, Christmas means one thing above all others: fire- met with an ex-kids restriction. places. It’s a debate that’s been raging since the dawn of time and • There are strict rules about advertising toys – demos need raises its head amid groans of despair in our morning viewing as San- to be accurate, scale references need to be included, anything ta’s sleigh gets ever closer. In past years we’ve been very strict about over £30 should be priced and if batteries are sold separately you’ll decorated fireplaces (no mirror hanging above, no festooned mantel- need to tell the kiddiwinks. pieces, no stockings by the side), but after much discussion we have decided to relax our view. So, to begin our festive countdown, we are May your Christmas be filled with novelty ties and no sign of immod- now allowing the following in principle: erate drinking. Ho. Ho. Ho.

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As advertising is becoming increasingly international, there are Bringing down the borders certain sectors, such as alcohol and food advertising that are experiencing further restrictions on a national or regional level – never for international marketing has there been more of a need to seek advice and get your ads right first time. We have listened to the needs of agencies and advertisers Kristoffer Hammer on how to extend our services and here is how the newly developed Head of Business Development industry wide resource for all media will work:

International Ad Compliance Training The International Ad Compliance Training (IACT) programme that we have developed in partnership with the European Advertising Standards Alliance provides training days with experts from across the world, taking you through the core areas of ad regulation, from misleadingness, taste and offence to specific sectors, such as food and drink and car advertising. All sessions are then made available to watch online.

We are already working with some of the sectors above to provide further in-depth training in sector-specific ad codes, which all practi- tioners in those sectors should be fully trained in. Do you know how you’ll make sure your next international campaign is compliant? We do! G-Regs From this autumn, G-Regs, the marketing communications regula- This autumn we’re extending our services to become a one-stop shop tion database which has all the rules for ten sectors in ten countries for international marketing compliance in any medium. With our in Europe will be available through IACT. To give you an example of international copy advice and clearance service already up and run- how this could work – you could watch the IACT video on car adver- ning, as well as our international training programme, we’re looking tising ad regulation in France as well as access the complete regula- forward to adding the Global Marketing Communications Regula- tion document for the sector in the country. G-Regs is starting with a tions database (G-Regs) to our range of services. So read on to find few important sectors across Europe, but will keep growing in scope. out more!

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Copy Development To complete the picture, our Copy Development service offers advice Oh no! on getting your creative and claims right. It’s true, Copy Develop- ment is focused on helping you to comply with UK regulation – but My contact is off sick! it could also give you a head start before starting the international compliance job. Alice Shelley Copy Group Manager

All of the International Ad Compliance services are available now and prices start from £25.

Visit www.clearcast.co.uk for more info

Covering for absent colleagues is one of the single most challenging aspects of organising Clearcast’s work flow on a daily basis. Copy work at Clearcast is shared out on a portfolio basis, so the relationship between agency and contact is a close one and the background knowledge that contact has is both wide and deep. Hardly surprising then that your contact’s absence – whether planned or unplanned – is generally met with weeping and wailing and a panicky ‘who’s going to be dealing with their work?’

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Cover will often be dealt with by our dedicated cover team but, when a lot of people are off, it will be shared between the cover team and Ingredient free the rest of the copy clearance team. claims To arrange cover as seamlessly as possible, we have to remain flex- ible, so we allocate cover on a daily basis depending on who’s in the Niamh McGuinness Head of Copy Clearance office and who’s out. We know that continuity is important toan agency but, for operational reasons, it isn’t always possible to have the same person covering an absent colleague for the whole period of In a world where more and more naturally sourced products are their absence. available, Clearcast is seeing an increasing amount of ads for cosmetics that claim to be free of certain ingredients. Knowing how important cover is to agencies, we are constantly striv- ing to streamline and improve our cover arrangements. To that end We have, for example seen claims that cosmetics are ‘paraben free’. we have recently increased the number of dedicated cover staff. The Parabens are chemicals that act as preservatives in cosmetics. Such cover team now consists of four people working a mixture of full and claims, inevitably, require a high level of substantiation in their sup- part time, and in normal circumstances (even the cover team occa- port and we take our lead on the acceptability of this type of claim sionally have holidays or go sick!) there will always be a minimum of from our cosmetic/dermatology consultants. two dedicated cover people available. In assessing ingredient free claims our consultants will, as a mini- However hard we try though, we know that the person covering won’t mum, want to see: have the background knowledge that the agency contact has, so we always say to agencies: please help us to help you. Give us as much • The International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) background information as you can. In particular if scripts contain list showing that the relevant ingredient is not included previously approved claims, please give us details. The more you help • A statement from the raw material supplier that the relevant us, the faster we can turn round the work until the day your errant ingredient is not included contact returns to the fray. • In the case of parabens, a proven and calibrated test for parabens to prove its absence

Clearcast may ask for a claim to be amended or removed if advertisers can’t provide all of the above.

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How are we doing? Our mid-year service levels

Niamh McGuinness Head of Copy Clearance , 16SCRIPTS500 SUBMITTED, Clearcast has published service level targets which we consistently strive to achieve, even during the busiest of periods when volumes of work can be very high. We aim to respond to 85% of script submissions within four days and to turn around 95% of film submissions within two days.

So far this year, with 16,500 scripts submitted up to the end of June, we are pretty much on a par with volumes for 2013. Volumes of films are up though with around an extra 1,200 submitted.

So how are we doing for the first half of 2014? Well for both quarters OF SCRIPTS RESPONDED TO IN FOUR DAYS, we are right on target for scripts, achieving 85% of scripts responded to in four days. In the first quarter, 96% of films were turned around in two days and 95% in quarter two. 85% The CopyCentral migration means we’ll be working, with you, on two systems for a period of time. However as we roll out the new system, our aim is to continue to achieve our targets for the rest of the year.

OF FILMS TURNED AROUND IN TWO DAYS.

20 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 95% CLEAR Local TV Ovo Energy clearance A Copy Development Case Study

Kristoffer Hammer Seb Lynch Head of Business Copy Development Manager Development

Ovo Energy were looking to develop their first television campaign with their creative agency Fabula and needed help from the Copy Development service to avoid breaching the denigration rule.

Clearcast is increasingly clearing ads for Local TV, but not for all of them, so you may find this useful.

Local TV has the same requirements in terms of clearance as national TV, but the licensees are free to decide whether they wish to do their The Concept own clearances or come through Clearcast. Ideas for the campaign were presented but they were problematic because they denigrated the competition. Ovo wanted to compare At the time of writing, Clearcast is clearing for Mustard TV in Nor- themselves to their bigger and more established rivals but the early wich, London Live and STV Glasgow; with STV Edinburgh joining scripts discredited those rivals by suggesting they provide a poor ser- later. vice in comparison to Ovo. We explained that it would be important for references to rival companies to be unspecific and vague, and that For an up to date list of all channels we clear for, please go to the good things that Ovo do should be stressed as opposed to what kb.clearcast.co.uk and search ‘channel’. they consider to be their rival’s deficiencies.

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Reviewing new creative pliant scripts and the number of watch-outs given by Clearcast for the Over the weeks that followed the meeting, Fabula produced a num- shoot, the agency felt it made sense to have me on set as a safeguard. ber of creative routes which they sent to me for feedback and advice. The advice centred on helping Fabula to amend any routes that were likely to be a problem under the denigration rule. The Testimonial

Final tweaks ‘This was our first use of the Copy Development service at Before the final meeting with Fabula, I discussed the latest creative Clearcast and it was invaluable. By having a qualified Clearcast route at the Policy and Copy Meeting (PCM) to get a consensus view rep to explain the regulations and highlight what breached from the copy group managers. The creative involved a customer and them meant that much of the debate was fast-tracked and we a rep from his unidentified energy company discussing the problems could focus on creative solutions. Often the regulations can be in their relationship with a councillor. The customer says he’s not open to personal interpretation which can slow down the copy happy and wants to switch to a new energy provider with great cus- approval process, Seb was really good at clarifying, without tomer service – Ovo. PCM agreed that this route would be acceptable obstructing in anyway. He felt like a member of the team both because the story had changed from being critical of competitors to at meetings and on set (he used to be a 2nd AD so really fitted being positive about Ovo. in). The whole service definitely helped us get to strong solutions within a challenging time frame.’ Approved scripts The final approved scripts explained a key benefit of being anOvo Alex Hedges customer and avoided any specific criticism of competitors. A sense Producer at Fabula of general dissatisfaction from the customer was clear and the character representing the energy company is unthoughtful and ignorant, but making the criticism vague and the energy company character generic and unidentifiable was key to the scripts’ acceptability.

The shoot Fabula arranged for me to be present on the shoot as they were concerned that even though the scripts were okay on paper, there was the potential for the performances and any adlibbing to jeopardise the approval of the ads. Given the work involved in developing com-

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What has Clearcast’s – all services designed by us to make sure ads get to air as smoothly as possible. I was able to give first hand advice on projects and ideas Teleshopping team under consideration and talk a bit more about what would be needed been up to? for their ads to be cleared as well as run through the time scales involved in the ad clearance. So in true teleshopping style, here are Justyna Shala some testimonials about my visit to the conference: Teleshopping Clearance Manager

‘It was extremely useful to be able to introduce Justyna to one of our Spanish clients. Justyna was able to explain why certain areas are For those who may not know – The Electronic Retailing Association of particular concern to UK regulators, the background to particu- (ERA) represents the business needs of retailers who sell directly to lar decisions and the fact that UK viewers believe the claims in TV the consumer and through its programme of self-regulation encour- advertising because they know there is a rigorous approvals process.’ ages fair, ethical, and responsible marketing practices that promote The Maverick Consultancy consumer confidence in electronic retailing. ‘Great to see Clearcast represented at this year’s ERA conference in In June I was a speaker at the annual European ERA conference Vienna. It’s an important opportunity for us and other European DRTV companies to learn about the advertising clearance process in Vienna, there to talk about teleshopping ad clearance in the UK. in the UK from the source. Justyna’s presentation was a real eye- Many international teleshopping companies don’t appreciate that opener for many of them. Plus, it’s really useful for UK advertisers commercials have to be cleared by Clearcast before going on air, so to be able to consult on regulatory issues right as new products and this was a great opportunity to introduce Clearcast and our service on advertising concepts are being presented to them’. the international level as well as clarify the clearance process. Zestify Media

My presentation covered a wide range of topics from a brief update ‘I saw Justyna at the Clearcast presentation in Vienna and it really helped me to understand the processes involved and was also good on current developments like the expansion of the teleshopping team to be updated on the new CopyCentral clearance system. The pres- and launch of our new online submissions system, CopyCentral, to entation was very clear and concise and I would be happy to be the most popular product genres and issues that come up in comply- updated every year.’ ing with the BCAP Code. I also presented some case studies as exam- MB Media Ltd. ples of how to get ads to air. If you would like to find out more about the presentation or any other I also talked about the international advice service, our international aspect of teleshopping clearance, do get in touch with me: video library and training programme (IACT) as well as TV Admin [email protected]

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Movers and Shakers 30 A novelist in our midst – Jonathan Laury 32 5 minutes with a consultant – Dr Harriet Scorer 35 Inny & Outty 38

cast28 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 29 CAST

Movers & Shakers Vicki Ford Receptionist and Office Assistant

There have been many changes over at Clearcast Towers. A few good- byes, a handful of hellos and a number of people have swapped seats and are moving on up.

To start off we are welcoming back Nicola Wynter and Olivia Quarshie Left to right: Our new starters Vicki Ford, Stuart Enver and Rosi Croom (Adam Smith was busy holidaying in Ibiza when we took this shot!) who have returned to us after their maternity leave. We hope the sights and sounds of Clearcast are slightly more appealing than the nappies and broken nights! the Operations team, have now joined the Copy team to replace Rudi and Anna. Stuart Enver has also joined Clearcast, taking on where The New Business Team has grown! Andy Kenyon (previously a Andy left off and Adam Smith has joined our Operations team to Senior Copy Executive) is now working alongside Mani Sohanpal to replace Louise. make sure anyone new to or unfamiliar with Clearcast has plenty of support. Carly Cormie left the position of Executive Assistant to the MD and former receptionist Emily Hornby has now taken over this role. Our The Teleshopping team has also expanded and Copy Exec Barry new receptionist is now yours truly, Vicki Ford. Noone has joined their ranks. Jennifer Maguire who was the Admin Assistant for the Clearcast Plus team is settling into her new role to We wish everyone the best of luck in their new roles and for those of replace Barry. Jennifer’s previous role has now been taken on by you who have left us, make sure you keep in touch! Rosanna Croom.

The Copy team bid a sad farewell to Anna Morris and Rudi Haig earlier this year. Louise Glover and Pete Bellas, who were working on

30 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 31 A novelist home town, desperate to rebuild his identity. in our midst Jonathan describes it as ‘a timely look at the A CLEARCAST PROFILE ON JONATHAN LAURY importance of cele- brating what you love. Ernest Hemingway once said, ‘There is nothing to writ- Plus magic. And mor- ing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed’. It’s ris dancing.’ With over a statement that certainly resonates with current Clearcast three years of hard Copy Executive, Jonathan Laury. Writing and performing work and dedication is in his blood and this creative spark has led him to take rolled in to around his ideas and thinking to a new level beyond the confines 90,000 words, he is of his daily copy clearance role. now knocking on the At Clearcast we have people who have what the IPA call doors of potential ‘diagonal thinking’. This is the ability to think in two com- publishers hoping for his big literary break. plementary ways: logically and creatively. These essential Getting your first novel published is notoriously diffi- skills enable Jonathan to keep his creative hat on through- cult but Jonathan’s love for writing continues unabated out the day and then unleash his additional talents on his as he awaits feedback from the publishers. He has already daily commute and his evenings and weekends. begun working on the second draft of another novel, tenta- Jonathan is a short story author, novelist and blogger. tively titled The Lord of the Dance. It recounts the journey A former actor, he graduated from Mountview Academy of a punk band dragged into the middle of a battle between of Theatre Arts and worked in the industry for a few years Orpheus and Dionysus in a small town venue. Like his before turning to writing and Clearcast. Experiencing the other writing, it’s set in the real world with a fantastical success of having some short stories published, he has twist of darkness in a similar vein to some of Neil Gaiman set his sights on the bigger prize of getting his first novel and China Mieville’s work. published. Entitled A Calling-on Song; it is about a reclu- They say that behind every great novelist is a neglected sive university drop-out called Robin who is back in his spouse; luckily that’s not the case here. Jonathan’s wife is

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also a writer and shares his passion, so she fully under- 5 minutes with… a consultant stands the demands of juggling his creative aspirations along with his full time role at Clearcast. So much so, they Dr Harriet Scorer MB BS, FFPM can often be found brain-storming and bouncing ideas

around the dinner table. Compiled by Jonathan Laury Not content with the novels, Jonathan has recently com- Copy Group Executive pleted his first play which he hopes to enter into a short play festival – watch this space! He’s also blogging about Whilst Clearcast’s staff are special- trying to get published for the first time both as catharsis ists in the BCAP Code, we have to and, as he says, an example for other aspiring writers of rely on a number of external experts what not to do. You can keep up with his misadventures at for script claims outside our expertise. Clearcast employs experts in the mrpootler.wordpress.com following fields: general medicine, nutrition, dentistry, dermatology, veterinary science, financial, legal, epilepsy (for ‘flashing’ issues), IT, optical, motoring, sports equipment, vacuum cleaners, cleaning products, electrical products, and statistics.

These experts work for us on a part-time basis, so we need to give them enough time to look at your script and substantiation – we nor- mally ask that you allow them at least a week for feedback. We’d also ask that you put your substantiation as succinctly as possible in a Claim Support Document, which can be found in the knowledge base area of our website. Go to kb.clearcast.co.uk and search ‘forms’.

Harriet joined Clearcast as a medical consultant earlier this year. A pharmaceutical physician, Harriet qualified in medicine at COMPILED BY BARRY NOONE TELESHOPPING COPY GROUP EXEC

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Cambridge University and Charing Cross Hospital. Whilst working in What can advertisers do to speed up the approval of their claims? the NHS, she specialised in obstetrics and gynaecology. She subse- It really helps if the support material is laid out clearly and it is easily quently joined the pharmaceutical industry working firstly for Abbott apparent which reference supports which claim. If there are multiple Laboratories and then as medical director at Wyeth Consumer references or long documents please mark up the relevant sections or Healthcare UK (now Pfizer) for 10 years. For the last 11 years she has quotes. provided medical and regulatory advice to consumer healthcare companies through Scorer Health Ltd. How does working with Clearcast compare with your usual work? My regular work involves consulting to consumer healthcare compa- What are your first impressions of working with Clearcast? nies on medical and regulatory affairs. So some aspects are very simi- I’ve been impressed by the professionalism and knowledge of the lar. For example, I advise on promotional material and check that it Clearcast copy clearance team. They are also very approachable is compliant with the various Codes and legislation which the indus- which makes working with Clearcast enjoyable. try follows - reviewing ads for Clearcast is along the same lines.

What are you favourite bits of working with Clearcast? One of the biggest differences is the relationships that I have with the I work on medicines and related areas but even within this there is people I work with: I have known many of my clients for a number of huge variety. I’ve had the opportunity to review some very interesting years whereas I don’t know many of the people behind the ads which data and learned a lot along the way. I’ve also worked with Seb Lynch come to Clearcast – hopefully that will change in time. on Copy Development where companies have the chance to come into Clearcast and get advice. This is a great way to get things sorted For more information on our consultants and how you can work with out early in the development process which seems to be good news them, go to kb.clearcast.co.uk and search ‘consultant’. for everyone.

What is the worst part of being a Clearcast consultant? It’s early days but so far I can’t say I’ve come across any bad aspects. Sometimes the documentation which accompanies an ad can be com- plex and difficult to follow. So that could be simplified which would make review easier (and quicker).

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Inny & Outty: we throw the same questions to a Clearcaster… …and an external buddy.

Inny: Outty: Vicki Ford Jennifer Pearson

Compiled by Jennifer Maguire Copy Group Executive

Vicki is the Receptionist and Office Assistant at Clearcast and has been Jennifer has been the Promotion and Communications Officer at the here for 3 months. European Advertising Standards Alliance in Brussels since 2012.

Weirdest thing you’ve eaten on holiday? Weirdest thing you’ve eaten on holiday? When I was in Bolivia one night the only options were either alpaca or guinea pig. Horse meat – although, is that even still weird after the whole ‘Horsegate’ thing? I had a pet guinea pig so I went with alpaca and it tasted just like steak. A very close second was the Spanish omelette ice-cream.

If you had a time machine when would you travel to and why? If you had a time machine when would you travel and why? The sixties, I would have loved to have been there when all the music was new. Ancient Rome – everyone loves a good toga party! I also think life would be better with Motown as your soundtrack! What is the best thing about your job? What is the best thing about your job? Its great working with such a mix of people from different nationalities, 11 people Being the first point of call at a company is essential and I’d like to think I am being from 7 different countries! EASA has self-regulatory members in 38 countries. as helpful. I’m learning new things every day and I also get to meet and greet lots of people which I love to do. Who would play you in the film of your life? I’d need the time machine back again, but it would be Gene Wilder in his Blazing Who would play you in the film of your life? Saddles days I opened it up to the people who know me best. They said Isla Fisher, you may not be able to see me, but you can always hear me! Your favourite TV ad of the last few months? The Coors Light Beer ads featuring Belgian national hero Jean Claude Van Damme – Your favourite TV ad of the last few months? did you know there’s even a statue of him in Brussels? The advert Thinkbox did called Harvey and Rabbit. With Adam Buxton doing the soundtrack, you can’t go wrong! What would you change about advertising in the UK? I would make sure that everyone signed up for IACT! What would you change about advertising in the UK? Late night chocolate/ice cream adverts. I cave so easily under pressure. If you had a super power what would it be? Teleportation - I wish I could move between Belgium and the UK with a click of my If you had a super power what would it be? heels, might take a sneaky peek at a few tropical islands too. The ability to pick up any hobby and be a master at it, namely playing an instrument or sports as I am not very coordinated.

38 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 39

Dear Jackie 42 Did you know…? 44 the back page

40 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 41 THE BACK PAGE

Ads are likely to be scrutinized heavily if it appears they trivialise cosmetic surgery by making it sound like a relatively easy or hassle free option Dear Jackie… eg “had my boobs done in no time and I’ve no second thoughts about going back for more”, especially if they don’t make it clear that cosmetic interven- tions carry risks. Notably, in a recent adjudication, the ASA were concerned that the ad Your ad problems solved by our resident agony aunt Compiled by Elliot Lord, Copy Group Manager depicted characters that were unhappy with their appearance. This was shown with attempts to cover up parts of their bodies in public places and presented them as lacking in confidence because they didn’t like how they Dear Jackie, looked. Now this is pretty standard stuff in a cosmetic surgery ad you might We’ve taken on a new cosmetic surgery client over here at Elliot Anthony think, and you’re probably right, but what scuppered this idea was the sud- William Rossitter & Lord. We’re totally new to working in this sector and den physical changes that were accompanied by an immediate and obvious we all thought you might be able to give us a steer on what to nip and tuck change in emotional wellbeing. The ASA thought this was likely to reinforce from our creative ideas before we start presenting them to the client. harmful feelings, particularly in young teenagers eg “I’m fat”, “my nose is Thanks, too big”, “I want my little toes removed so I can wear aunty Jackie’s sky Patty O’Furniture scraper heels” etc., and would encourage those who don’t have a ‘perfect’ physical appearance to be self-conscious about their looks and try to change Well hey there Patty!! them. The adjudication made clear that to minimise the risk to children and, Thanks so much for writing into me; you sure have come to the right particularly young teenagers, the ad should have been given a post 9pm person! restriction to help prevent them from seeing it. Doubtless you’ve seen many an image of my visage spread across the As always darlings, if you’ve any specific questions on a topic then you web, so you know I’m the gal that knows all when it comes to a bit of nip and should chat to your Clearcast lovey, but for now, I must dash… shopping trip tuck. down Harley Street with the niece. There are the usual lookouts, like making sure your client is all above board, ie registered, qualified, certified, insured up to their eye balls and, Love and lipo, most importantly, don’t harbour an unhealthy fascination with the likes of Sweeny Todd or Jack the Ripper. Jackie xxx That aside, you really want to take care to ensure that your ads are prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society. So you’ll want to be careful about what voice over and imagery you show if you’re Got a question for Jackie? looking to avoid restrictions on scheduling; no one really wants to see a demo Well then, Ms Stone would love to hear any questions of a chemical peel around the Martini hour(s)(noon–nine). Post Watershed you have about Clearcast. Please keep it general and you’re likely to get away with showing a little more, because that’s when lit- talk to your exec if it relates to a particular clearance. tle beasts should be in bed and we’re onto the hard stuff! [email protected]

42 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 43 THE BACK PAGE

• In February Clearcast were granted Did you the two star Outstanding accredita- tion in the Best Companies to Work know… For initiative. The highly sought after accolade was awarded to us in our first year of participation in the employee engagement survey.

• On October 1 the Remote Gam- bling Act comes into force and all gambling operators who advertise in Great Britain must register and be licensed by the Gambling Com- mission. From that date, Clearcast will request to see evidence from all gambling advertisers that they are on the Gambling Commission’s public register. This replaces the ‘White List’ which contains a list of permitted gambling jurisdictions. Left to right: Mr & Mrs Sayeau, and Mr & Mrs Powell

• The ASA have just published a use- • Two Clearcast ladies got married on the same day this summer. ful new guide called ‘Making ads Copy Group Executive Rosie Miller (now Sayeau) and Commu- responsible: A guide to the ASA and nications Executive Ellie Bonnet (now Powell), both married on CAP’. The downloadable leaflet pro- July 19th. Rosie’s wedding took place in Layer Marney Tower in vides an overview of their structure Colchester and Ellie’s in her parents’ village in Oxfordshire. Both and how they regulate UK ads. Find brides had a great day. it here: www.asa.org.uk

44 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 Clearcast Newsletter · Autumn 2014 45 Clearcast Ltd. 4 Roger Street London WC1N 2JX T +44 (0) 20 7339 4700 E [email protected] W www.clearcast.co.uk