Electronic Cigarette Breakthrough TV Ad

On the 10^th of November 2014, the first electronic cigarette ad was shown on UK televisions. This has been ruled by the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and is the organisation’s first ever ruling specifically on e-cigarettes.

TV Ads Must Adhere To Strict Rules

CAP have specified that the adverts must not be seen to be targeting people under the age of 18 or non-smokers and that tobacco must not be shown in a positive light. These rulings will be reviewed in one year.

Previously e-cigarettes were “caught” by regulations pertaining to the advertising of cigarettes because of their similarity but now that new rules have been written advertisers may now go ahead. The new rules include some strict guidelines and adverts must not, “be likely to appeal particularly to people under 18, especially by reflecting or being associated with youth culture” they must not, “encourage non-smokers to use e-cigarettes” and they must not “claim e-cigarettes are safer or healthier than smoking tobacco”

TV Adverts Have The Ability To Educate General Public 

With stringent rules in place to ensure that e-cigarettes are not seen as “the new smoking”, it would seem that advertisers will now be free to dream up as many creative solutions to sell their brand as well as to educate the public around the use and function of electronic vaping devices in general.