Advertising Law & CONAR Regulations Course

Lesson 1 • Core Legal Principles in Advertising

Introduces truthfulness, substantiation, and non-deception as foundational duties. These principles underpin every specific rule covered in later chapters.

Lesson 2 • What Advertising Law Regulates

Defines the scope of advertising law and distinguishes it from general commercial law. Anchors the chapter by clarifying what constitutes a regulated commercial message.

Lesson 3 • Rights and Duties of Advertisers

Outlines the legal obligations advertisers bear and the constitutional protections they may invoke. Balances rights against regulatory duties introduced throughout the course.

Lesson 1 • The CONAR Code of Ethics

Analyzes the ethical principles codified by CONAR that govern advertising content and conduct. These principles form the normative baseline for all subsequent compliance analysis.

Lesson 2 • Self-Regulation vs. Government Enforcement

Compares the speed, cost, and effectiveness of self-regulatory versus governmental enforcement. Equips students to advise clients on the most appropriate compliance pathway.

Lesson 3 • CONAR's Institutional Structure

Describes CONAR's governance bodies, membership, and decision-making processes. Understanding structure is prerequisite to navigating complaint and appeal procedures.

Lesson 1 • Comparative Advertising Rules

Examines the conditions under which competitor comparisons are lawful and ethical. Comparative claims require both legal and CONAR compliance simultaneously.

Lesson 2 • CONAR Deception Standards

Applies CONAR's specific code provisions on misleading advertising to case examples. Bridges general legal standards with the self-regulatory framework introduced in Chapter 2.

Lesson 3 • Legal Standards for Deception

Defines the legal test for deception, including materiality and consumer impression standards. Connects directly to the truthfulness principles established in Chapter 1.

Lesson 4 • Substantiation of Advertising Claims

Details the evidentiary standards required to support objective advertising claims. Students learn to assess whether existing evidence meets regulatory expectations.

Lesson 1 • Legal Basis for Heightened Protection

Explains why certain audiences receive stronger regulatory protection and the legal doctrines that justify it. Grounds subsequent sections in established legal rationale.

Lesson 2 • Advertising Directed at Children

Covers content restrictions, scheduling rules, and persuasion technique limits for child-directed ads. CONAR's child advertising provisions are analysed alongside legal requirements.

Lesson 3 • Health and Safety Claims for Vulnerable Groups

Applies substantiation and non-deception rules to health claims aimed at vulnerable audiences. Stricter evidentiary standards apply when health outcomes are implied.

Lesson 1 • Alcohol and Tobacco Advertising

Details content restrictions, placement bans, and mandatory warnings for alcohol and tobacco ads. These categories carry the most restrictive advertising regimes.

Lesson 2 • Pharmaceutical and Health Product Advertising

Covers prescription vs. over-the-counter advertising rules and required disclosures. Regulatory approval processes for health claims are introduced here.

Lesson 3 • Financial Product Advertising

Examines disclosure requirements, risk warnings, and prohibited representations in financial ads. Connects to the vulnerable consumer protections covered in Chapter 4.

Lesson 4 • Emerging Regulated Categories

Surveys newly regulated sectors such as gambling, cannabis, and cryptocurrency advertising. Students anticipate compliance challenges in fast-evolving regulatory environments.

Lesson 1 • Investigation and Evidence Standards

Details how CONAR investigators gather evidence and assess advertiser substantiation. Students learn what evidence is persuasive in self-regulatory proceedings.

Lesson 2 • Appeals and Judicial Review

Explains the internal appeal process within CONAR and the conditions for seeking judicial review. Connects self-regulatory outcomes to the broader legal system introduced in Chapter 1.

Lesson 3 • Hearing Procedures and Decision-Making

Describes the hearing format, panel composition, and deliberation standards used by CONAR. Understanding decision-making prepares students to craft effective arguments.

Lesson 4 • Remedies and Sanctions

Catalogues the range of remedies CONAR may impose, from voluntary withdrawal to public censure. Students assess remedy severity and advise clients on risk exposure.

Lesson 1 • Data Privacy in Targeted Advertising

Covers consent requirements, data minimisation, and opt-out rights in behavioural advertising. Privacy compliance is a prerequisite for lawful digital campaign execution.

Lesson 2 • Online Advertising Legal Framework

Maps how existing advertising law extends to websites, apps, and digital platforms. Establishes that core legal principles from Chapter 1 apply regardless of medium.

Lesson 3 • Influencer and Endorsement Disclosure

Details mandatory disclosure requirements for paid endorsements and influencer partnerships. Non-disclosure is treated as a deceptive practice under both law and CONAR.

Lesson 4 • CONAR Standards for Digital Content

Applies CONAR's ethical code to digital formats including viral content, memes, and interactive ads. Demonstrates that self-regulatory standards evolve alongside new media.

Lesson 1 • Building an Advertising Compliance Programme

Guides students through designing internal review workflows, approval gates, and training programmes. A functioning compliance programme reduces legal and reputational exposure.

Lesson 2 • Staying Current with Regulatory Change

Equips students with methods for monitoring regulatory updates, CONAR code revisions, and case law. Continuous monitoring is the final competency needed for long-term compliance.

Lesson 3 • Managing Regulatory Investigations

Prepares students to respond effectively when a regulator or CONAR initiates an inquiry. Crisis response skills complement the procedural knowledge from Chapter 7.

Lesson 4 • Pre-Launch Legal and Ethical Review

Establishes a systematic checklist approach for reviewing campaigns before publication. Applies all substantive rules from Chapters 3 through 6 in an integrated review process.