Gavin and his seven children
A TV advert produced by an Australian pro-life group has been censured by regulators for "concealing its political nature".
The advert features a tradesman talking about his fears when his wife told him she was pregnant four weeks after their wedding and ends with his seven children holding up ultasound pictures. It was broadcast by the Ten Network in Western Australia last September.
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The advert directs people to notbornyet.com, which offers support for crisis pregnancy. Notbornyet is the campaign website of Emily’s Voice, "a not-for-profit charity started to help Australians fall in love with the unborn, and encourage and support women with an unplanned or crisis pregnancy."
Political?
However, the Australian Communications and Media Authority ruled the advertisement was a "political matter" which sought to influence people’s personal choices, as the content suggested "expecting parents should continue with pregnancy". According to Australian law, advertisements for political issues must contain information about who authorised the ad and the name of every person who speaks during it.
"[Emily’s Voice] encourages Australian citizens to ‘vote for political candidates who value the unborn’," the authority said.
Paul O'Rourke, president of Emily's voice responded to the ruling in a blog, saying:
"Advertisements encouraging men and women experiencing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy, and connecting them with support services and important health information have now been deemed political comment by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)...A series of truthful, personal stories in the form of 15 and 30-second ads have been broadcast on commercial television for almost a decade, including the ad in question, without Commercials Advice (CAD) requiring any form of political authorisation."
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