The Chinese government issued a new set of tough guidelines that are bound to radically change advertising in the country.
According to People’s Daily, The Nanfang, and Qingdao News, the new advertising rules do things like ban child celebrities under the age of ten from doing endorsements, under the rationale that these young celebs cannot make decisions independently (i.e., adults might be making decisions for them). Fair enough!
The Nanfang adds that a handful of words, such as “best” or “most popular,” are also banned. Other phrases like “country’s top,” “international standards,” and even “recommended by Chinese leaders” cannot be used.
Celebrities also must be able to use the products that they endorse. People’s Daily, the official paper of the country’s Communist party, explains that this means male celebs, for example, cannot endorse “feminine products like tampons.”
The Nanfang and Qingdao News point to Taiwanese singer and actor Jiro Wang who appeared in Freemore maxi pad advertisements and commercials. Obviously, the company was hoping to cash in with his popularity among women, but his appearance in sanitation napkin commercials did not go unnoticed in China.
How could it? Wang appeared on the product packaging as well as on in-store displays.
[Image via Weibo]
So, no more of that!
Online advertising, such as the seemingly endless pop-ups on Chinese sites, will also be regulated. Which is good news, because visting a Chinese website can often feel like a trip to pop-up hell.
Top image via Weibo
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