Ad Standards Council Philippines (ASC) — what it is

The Ad Standards Council — commonly abbreviated ASC — is the self-regulatory body of the Philippine advertising industry. The full name is the Ad Standards Council of the Philippines; in everyday usage marketers and agencies just say “ASC.”

The Ad Standards Council administers the ASC Code of Ethics and the Manual of Procedures, and it operates the screening process that reviews advertising material before media placement. Standards cover truth in advertising, fairness, decency, social responsibility, and category-specific rules for regulated industries (banking, food and beverage, alcohol, healthcare, real estate, telco).

Who's bound by the Ad Standards Council

Membership in the ASC is voluntary, but in practice it covers nearly every major advertiser, agency, and media organization in the Philippines. Advertising that has not been screened by the Ad Standards Council generally cannot be placed on member media channels — television, radio, print, out-of-home, and increasingly digital.

How ASC screening works

Submitted ads are reviewed by the Screening Committee and receive one of three outcomes:

• Approved — the ad receives an ASC reference number and can be placed on member media.
• Approved with revisions — specific changes required before placement.
• Disapproved — substantive rework needed before resubmission.

Full process detail: how ASC screening works.

Common names for the same thing

Marketers searching the web use a mix of names that all point at the Ad Standards Council:

• Ad Standards Council Philippines
• Ad Standards Council of the Philippines
• ASC Philippines
• ASC PH
• Philippine ASC
• ASC clearance body

Related

The ASC Code of Ethics, explained · What ASC clearance means · How ASC screening works · Most common ASC violations