Romanian Advertising Council amends with new rules the RAC Code

Creativity

The members of Romanian Advertising Council (RAC) approved, during their General Assembly in April, a new self-regulatory document to the RAC Code of Practice in Advertising, as announced in an article published on RAC’s website.

The new addendum of the RAC Code, entitled “Rules for commercial communication on alcoholic drinks”, is a document adopted by Romanian spirited drinks, reunited in Romanian Forum for Responsible Alcohol Consumption (RFRD). The purpose of this code is promoting the alcoholic drinks towards an adult public, in a responsible and proper way.

By amending the responsible commercial communication rules on alcoholic drink within the Code of Practice in Advertising, the ethical boards of RAC will have at their disposal a more detailed and more specific guide to evaluate commercial communication on this category of products. It is well appreciated the responsible attitude of the industry’s representatives reunited in RFRD and their engagement to adopt the highest standards of ethical communication. Together with the commercial responsible communication rules related to beer, the ones related to telecom services and products or the ethical code on advertising for food products targeting children, this new amendment on alcoholic drinks added to the code comes to complete the set of ethical self-regulation rules that RAC is promoting

Ecaterina Safarica

President, RAC

RFRD Code rules applies to all marketing communication, no matter the type of used media or communication channel, including digital communication. Self-regulatory rules related to responsible commercial communication for spirited drinks refer to responsible placing, to promoting a responsible consumption, to underage children protection, consumers’ safety and health and also the way the effects of alcohol consumption are presented.

The amendment will imply the following:

  • RAC will analyze all the complaints on commercial communication content for spirited drinks, based on RAC code and the amendment document, that includes specific rules for the domain, based on standard procedure
  • According to RAC’s principles, the complaints can be submitted by anyone, company or general public, member or not of the 2 entities (RAC and RFRD )
  • RAC can mediate a case related to a commercial communication in order to solve the dispute on amiable way

Decisions emitted by the department in charge with solving complaints, RAC’s Ethical Committee , will be mandatory for RFDR members, an obligation that comes from RFDR status as member of RAC, since November 2011

Romanian Advertising Council (RAC) is an NGO that aims to self-regulate Romanian advertising industry. The organization was founded din 1999 and, nowadays, has 57 members.