Production
AI makes it cheap to cut one film into a dozen versions: the TV spot, a six-second bumper, a silent loop for an LED billboard, a vertical cut for an in-store screen. Each of those versions falls under a different rule at the Ad Standards Council. Here is which screens need clearance before the ad runs, and what changes from one version to the next.
Does every video ad need ASC clearance?
No. It depends on where the ad runs and what it says. The ASC Manual sets a rule for each type of material, and on top of that a list of categories and claims where “These materials regardless of medium used or implemented in, are subject to mandatory pre screening.”
The categories are over-the-counter drugs and home remedies, food or dietary supplements, products covered by the Milk Code, alcoholic beverages, and airlines and transport with promotional fares. The claims are No. 1 or leadership, absolute, comparative, exclusivity and superiority claims. Our guide to ad claims rules covers the proof each one needs.
Which screens need clearance before the ad runs?
| Where it runs | What the Manual says | Before it runs |
| TV | “Except when required otherwise, TV and Radio materials shall be pre-screened.” | Pre-screened |
| Cinema | Cinema ads “shall be pre-screened.” | Pre-screened |
| Digital and social | “Generally, Digital, and Mobile ads need not be cleared prior to implementation.” | Only if a mandatory category or claim applies |
| LED billboards and other out-of-home | Out-of-home includes “photographic and electronic billboards and electronic message boards” | Pre-screened, then a Clearance to Display before installation |
| In-store screens | “in-store audio-visual broadcast” is a collateral, and collaterals “have to undergo S1 & S2 submission” | Pre-screened |
| Screens at an activation | Activation materials are “generally post-screened as these are used in special events” | Post-screened, unless a mandatory category or claim applies |
Out-of-home is the one that catches AI video teams out. Those materials “are subject to mandatory pre-screening prior to production and securing of Clearance to Display is required prior to installation or display”. Prior to production means the storyboard goes in before the loop is rendered. And “Inclusion of ASC Reference Code is mandatory for Out-of-Home ad or materials.”
Does a silent or captioned cut count as a new ad?
Often, yes. The Manual’s rules for using one material across platforms are specific.
→ A silent cut for a screen. “Should a material be used in an OOH medium and material will be implemented without an audio, this will have to be applied separately”, because it is no longer exactly the material that was cleared.
→ A captioned cut for social. “Should a material be implemented in digital and a caption will be included, material should be applied with the caption.”
→ The reference number on every cut. The ASC Reference Number “should be reflected at the last frame of the material together with the mandatory government phrase”. For OTC drugs and food supplements, the mandatory line takes the last frame on its own and the code moves to the first or second-to-last frame; see mandatory statements.
→ Lengths for TV. “For Television, regular spot materials should follow the prescribed standard material length of the KBP.”
Our guide to ASC clearance for video ads covers the S1 and S2 screenings and where they sit in the schedule.
What changes when the video is AI-made?
The screens don’t change; the number of versions does. A generated campaign can produce a version for every placement quickly, and each one still has to match a cleared application for its platform. The ASC’s AI circular adds a disclosure on top, and our guide to AI disclosure in Philippine ads covers where it sits in each format.
The version map
Before the first render, list every placement with its format, length, audio or silent, captions, and whether it needs pre-screening, a Clearance to Display or nothing. Every row that differs from a cleared version is its own application.
General information from the ASC Code of Ethics and Standard Manual of Procedures effective 29 April 2024. Check the current Manual and the media owner’s specifications before you book.
Who should plan the versions?
The team making them. PUNX is an AI video agency in Makati: 50-plus people, founded 2023, producing for P&G, San Miguel, Petron and JTI. Whoever you hire, ask for the version map with the quote: every placement, every length, and the clearance each one needs.
FAQ
Do social media video ads need ASC clearance?
Generally not before they run. The ASC Manual says digital and mobile ads need not be cleared prior to implementation, unless the product is in a mandatory category, such as OTC drugs, food supplements, Milk Code products, alcohol or promotional airfares, or the ad makes a mandatory claim such as a No. 1, absolute, comparative, exclusivity or superiority claim.
Do LED billboard ads need ASC clearance?
Yes. Out-of-home materials, including electronic billboards and electronic message boards, are subject to mandatory pre-screening before production, and a Clearance to Display is required before installation or display. The ASC Reference Code must appear on the material.
Does a silent version of a cleared TV ad need a new application?
Under the ASC Manual, a material used out-of-home without its audio has to be applied for separately, because it is no longer exactly the material that was cleared. A digital version with captions should be applied for with the captions.
Where does the ASC Reference Number go in a video ad?
On the last frame, together with the mandatory government phrase. For OTC drugs and food or dietary supplements, the mandatory line takes the last frame on its own, and the reference code can go on the first frame or the second-to-last frame.
Related
AI video agency — what we produce, from brief to delivery
ASC clearance for video ads — S1, S2 and cut-downs
Social media video sizes — every ratio, size and safe zone
Running one film on many screens?
Send us the media plan. We will map every version to the clearance it needs before anything is rendered.
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