Akili Kids Advertising Policy

Akili Network is a trusted provider of content for children. As such, we have a responsibility to ensure that advertising around this content is appropriate and does not encourage children to undertake harmful activities. In determining what advertising is appropriate around children’s content, the age of the target audience is being taken into account.

 

For the purpose of these guidelines, children should be taken to mean all children and young people under the age of 15.

 

Channel advertising is designed primarily for parents and caregivers and based on product or service type; however, all channel advertising must also be suitable for children under the age of 15 and must not contain any material which would not be suitable for an unsupervised child to see or use. Behavior change communications or government-mandated public service announcements must also be audience appropriate.

 

Akili Kids! TV advertisements:

 

  1. Must NOT contain anything that is likely to result in the physical, mental or moral harm of children;
  2. Must NOT encourage children to copy any practice that might be unsafe for a child. Advertising should not contain behavior that is likely to be easily imitable by children in a manner that is dangerous. For example, advertisements should not depict children in hazardous situations or behaving dangerously such as crossing a main road without appropriate adult supervision;
  3. Must NOT encourage children to enter strange places or talk/communicate with strangers. For example, advertisements should not encourage children to use websites which are not suitably moderated;
  4. Must NOT contain offensive or profane language;
  5. Must NOT suggest that a child is inferior or unpopular for not buying a particular product;
  6. Must NOT seek to exploit children’s credulity, loyalty, vulnerability or lack of experience.
  7.  Must NOT actively encourage children to replace main meals with unhealthy snack foods or drinks. Advertising for food and drink products high in fat, salt, or sugar (“HFSS”) is not acceptable where it suggests they are an alternative to a healthy, balanced, diet. Foods such as cakes can however strictly be portrayed as usable only for rare and special events such as birthday celebrations.
  8. Must ensure that parental role models or characters are not presented inaccurately either physically, emotionally or economically;
  9. Must maintain truth in advertising, representing products and services accurately.
  10. Due consideration is being given to local market best practices.

 

Akili Network has an internal Advertising Standards Council for Akili Kids! TV that reviews (and can approve or reject) advertising, based on products, content, and age appropriateness. Some products that may be appropriate for older audiences may be approved for viewing at later times during the day, but may not be approved for hours designated for preschool viewing.