The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA) is set to implement a new Children's Advertising Code, effective from 1 December 2023.

This move is seen as a response to growing concerns from the community, government, and industry about the nature of advertising directed at children. The broadened scope of the new code is a significant shift from previous regulations, extending safeguards to all forms of advertising that target children.

"The Code is no longer limited to advertising for children's products and will provide critical protections around any advertising directed at children," AANA CEO Josh Faulks stated. "It places a clear ban on directing advertising of hazardous products to children such as vapes, kava or highly caffeinated drinks. It also prohibits the encouragement of unsafe practices, including bullying or promoting unhealthy body image, and the use of sexual appeal or imagery when communicating to children."

One of the key areas the Code focuses on is 'kidfluencers' and influencer advertising directed at children. In an era where children are increasingly interacting with digital content, the Code requires that it be immediately clear to a child that they are engaging with advertising content. This is seen a significant move towards transparency in a space that has often blurred the lines between entertainment and advertising.

"The rules go beyond Australian Consumer Law recognising the subtle, embedded nature of influencer advertising directed at children which research says lowers children's ability to recognise it as advertising. It must now be immediately clear to a child that they are interacting with advertising content," Faulks said.

The new Code complements AANA's existing Food & Beverage Advertising Code, which bans advertising of occasional food and beverages to children across all media channels at all times of the day. This comprehensive approach ensures that children are protected from potentially harmful advertising content, regardless of the platform or time of day.

To facilitate the transition, AANA has provided comprehensive training to the industry through a webinar and offers free advice and tailored training to members.

Complaints about advertising that raise issues under the Children's Advertising Code will be handled by Ad Standards and are determined by the independent Ad Standards Community Panel.