A television advertisement depicting a teenage girl running away from home, taking drugs and being sexually exploited does not violate broadcasting legislation, a recent ruling has found.

A viewer complained to the Advertisement Standards Agency (ASA) about Barnardo’s Turn Around advertisement, suggesting the voice-over “Then some people found me. They were from Barnardo’s” misled the audience about the work of the charity.

Through showing the young girl receiving medical help and counselling before returning home, the viewer argued, illustrated that the charity was attempting to act as a child protection agency.

Barnardo’s responded to the complaint by arguing that the advertisement did not mislead, but highlighted how their outreach work for young people encompassed night-time street visits to places such as parks, bed and breakfasts, temporary accommodation and unsupported houses.

These, in Barnardo’s experience, were all places where vulnerable children and young people in need of help are found. They added that the case featured in the advertisement would have been immediately referred on to the child protection services and police in real life.

After analysing the Television Advertising Standard Code rules, the ASA did not uphold the complaint but did comment that unlike local authority social services departments, Barnardo’s outreach work did not take place in every area of the United Kingdom.

“We considered that the story shown in the ad was representative of Barnardo’s outreach work in the areas where it did take place,” said an ASA spokesperson.

“We considered the ad suggested that this was the kind of situation in which Barnardo's worked but that it did not suggest that they acted as a child protection agency at the initial intervention stage in cases of child abuse.”

Clearcast, the non-governmental organisation which pre-approves most British television advertising, also backed Barnardo’s campaign, by commenting how the story shown in the advertisement was typical of some of the work Barnardo's carried out.

“We are delighted that the ASA has recognised our effort to reference Barnardo’s vital outreach work in our latest advertising campaign and has ruled out any intention to mislead,” said Diana Tickell, UK director of communications for Barnardo’s.

“The ad realistically demonstrates how Barnardo’s works in communities across the UK to help some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children turn their lives around.”

The advertisement was broadcast on terrestrial and satellite television during December 2009 as part of the charity’s wider campaign to combat child exploitation.

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Barnardo's in the clear, says ASA

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