NSPCC changes mailing after ASA ruling

Fundraising | Becky Slack | 16 Apr 2007

The NSPCC is to amend one of its ChildLine mailings after 143 people complained to the charity about it and the Advertising Standards Authority agreed that it could cause distress to some recipients.

The mailing, produced by WWAV Rapp Collins, took the form of a letter and a mock counsellor log sheet containing handwritten details of three calls to ChildLine. One such log read: "Facts - Caller did not say anything but sobbed uncontrollably for first two minutes of call. Then asked whether I would tell anyone what he said. Then burst out crying and continued to sob. Ended the call suddenly."
The pack was sent to 200,000 households and 143 people complained to the charity about it. Some complained about the design of the mailing; others about fundraising in general.

Three people lodged complaints with the ASA about the mailing, suggesting recipients might think it was a genuine log sheet and so could be upset by it, particularly if they had suffered abuse themselves.

The ASA agreed that if recipients read the log sheet before the letter, they could indeed believe it was genuine. It also found that the envelope did not make clear that the contents were marketing materials from the NSPCC.

The charity agreed to change the mailing to spell out on the envelope that it was from the NSPCC, and to make clear on the log sheet that the calls were examples of ChildLine calls, and not genuine logs.

It plans to repeat the campaign later this year.

Directory: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

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