Quick answer: The ASA has launched a new eight-week public awareness campaign across TV, digital, OOH, radio, cinema, press and magazines, supported by iconic brand partners including Churchill, Compare the Market, Marmite, Tesco, Waitrose and Netflix.
A Campaign Built to Rebuild Trust in Advertising
The Advertising Standards Authority has returned with a new burst of its public awareness campaign, designed to reassure people that advertising is regulated across media.
The campaign is a key pillar of the Advertising Association’s ongoing effort to protect and build public trust in advertising.
With support from well-known brands and donated media inventory, the campaign uses familiar creative assets to make the role of the ASA more visible and easier to understand.
Iconic Brands Lend Their Voices
Churchill, Compare the Market, Marmite and Tesco have once again lent their famous straplines to the distinctive creative platform developed by Leith.
This year, the campaign also welcomes major new media support from Netflix and Waitrose.
By using recognizable brand characters, lines and media environments, the campaign makes advertising regulation feel less distant and more connected to the everyday ads people already know.
Aleksandr the Meerkat Returns
One of the most recognizable elements of the new campaign is Aleksandr the Meerkat from Compare the Market.
The character stars in an updated TV ad, helping deliver the message that advertising is a regulated industry.
Using a character people already associate with advertising gives the campaign warmth, familiarity and instant recognition.
Netflix and Waitrose Join the Campaign
Two major new additions strengthen the media owner support behind the campaign this year.
Netflix will run the 30-second advert on its ad-supported plan, giving the campaign visibility in a growing streaming environment.
Waitrose will feature a bespoke ASA advert in its Your Week In Food newspaper, which is distributed in stores, adding a retail media layer to the campaign.
OOH as a Public Trust Channel
Out-of-home plays an important role in this campaign because it places the ASA’s message in public spaces where advertising is part of everyday life.
OOH helps make the regulator visible in the same environments where people encounter commercial messages, from streets and transport settings to high-footfall public areas.
That context matters: a campaign about responsible advertising becomes more powerful when it appears alongside the advertising landscape it is helping regulate.
Why Public Awareness Matters
The campaign aims to increase awareness of the ASA and reassure the public that ads are regulated across media.
In 2025, the ASA resolved more than 40,000 complaints about 25,397 ads, resulting in 22,383 ads being amended or removed.
Its AI-powered Active Ad Monitoring system also processed 60 million ads, allowing the regulator to proactively identify and address issues in high-priority areas.
A Key Part of the Trust Action Plan
Since the campaign began in 2022, public trust in advertising has risen from 30% to a five-year high of 40% in 2025.
However, that recovery remains fragile.
To keep building momentum, the Advertising Association’s new industry Trust Action Plan calls on the industry to scale up the ASA Public Awareness Campaign.
Media, Creative and Industry Support
The campaign creative was developed by Leith, with media planning handled by WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom.
The wider media industry is supporting the campaign through donated inventory across multiple channels, helping the message reach audiences at scale.
This kind of collaboration shows how the advertising industry can use its own tools to address trust, transparency and responsibility.
Why This Campaign Works
The campaign works because it turns advertising’s most familiar assets into reminders that advertising is regulated.
By combining famous brand characters, trusted media environments, OOH visibility and a clear public message, the ASA makes its role easier for people to recognize and remember.
The campaign also shows that trust is not built by regulation alone. It requires awareness, repetition and industry-wide participation.
What Marketers Can Learn From the ASA Campaign
- Public trust campaigns become stronger when familiar brands help carry the message.
- OOH can make regulatory and public information visible in everyday environments.
- Cross-channel media support helps awareness campaigns reach people repeatedly and at scale.
- Recognizable characters and straplines can make serious messages feel more accessible.
- Industry collaboration can turn a trust-building initiative into a broad cultural campaign.
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