PRACTICE NOTES
Product Placement in UK Television and Radio: Ofcom Code Section 9 Rules, Prohibitions, Signalling, Compliance and Sanctions
This Practice Note serves as a reference when assessing whether to include a product or service in a television or radio programme in exchange for consideration. It addresses the Ofcom Broadcasting Code (the Code), which prescribes the rules governing what products may appear, the programme genres in which placement is allowed, and the manner in which such items can feature. The rules on product placement in television broadcasts sit in Section 9 of the Code. Ofcom has also issued guidance on these provisions, but that guidance is currently being revised. An archived version for Section 9 can be accessed via the National Archives; however, it does not reflect the rules now in force. Product placement is one form of commercial advertising within television and radio content regulated by Ofcom. For advertising outside television or radio content, see Practice Note: Advertising law and regulation.
What is product placement?
‘Product placement’ refers to the inclusion within a programme of, or a reference to, a product, service, or trade mark, where the inclusion:
is for a commercial purpose
is in return for the making of any payment, or the giving of other valuable...
TMT