Your brand may want to showcase its Canadian identity, but if you’re making claims like “Truly Canadian”, “Proudly Canadian”, or “Made in Canada”, you need to get it right.

Earlier this year, Ad Standards issued an advisory to the advertising industry to help ensure that these types of Canadian origin claims comply with the provisions of the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (the “Code”).

The resource provides important guidance on:

• The requirements for “Made in Canada” and “Product of Canada” claims (with downloadable infographic)
• Examples of past Standards Council decisions from complaints related to Canadian origin claims
• Quick tips for compliance

Many municipalities, transit authorities and their media agencies across Canada have rules that govern the placement of advertising on their property. These policies often reference the requirement for advertisements to comply with the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards (the Code).

To provide guidance on how to accurately reference the Code in a company’s advertising policy and public communications, Ad Standards recently issued an advisory.

A helpful list of do’s and don’ts are meant to provide additional clarity to both the application of the Code and Ad Standards’ complaints procedures and can be used as a foundational tool for development or revision of these types of advertising policies.

In March Ad Standards hosted a webinar on this topic to go beyond the advisory, providing examples of Code compliance and best practices for managing consumer complaints.

Member companies who missed the webinar and wish to receive their annual presentation on this topic should reach out to Audrey Santana, Membership Coordinator.

We are proud to release our Inaugural Annual Report on the Code for the Responsible Advertising of Food and Beverage Products to Children (the Industry Code).

This report reflects the first full year of implementation of this Industry Code, a major step forward in ensuring that food and beverage advertising directed to children in Canada meets the highest standards of responsibility.

The program requirements set out in the Industry Code and its companion Guide are designed to achieve the shared objective of a comprehensive and workable regime that applies to all advertising, in all media. At its core, the initiative represents a move from the voluntary pledge program to an Industry Code of mandatory and universal application. This is a made-in-Canada approach and a significant move for Canadian advertisers.

The report covers:

• an overview of the Industry Code;
• the role of Ad Standards in implementing the Industry Code;
• a report on preclearance and enforcement in the program’s first full year.

Ad Standards released its 10^th annual compliance report for the AdChoices Accountability Program for 2024. The report highlights progress made by companies committed to the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC) Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioural Advertising (the Principles). 

The Principles were updated in October 2022 and became the basis for compliance for the first time beginning in 2023.

Along with the updated Principles, there was a new requirement in 2023 for Participants to self-attest to their adherence to several of the Principles that were not previously audited by Ad Standards. In the second year of this requirement, there was a substantial increase in the percentage of Participants that returned the forms.

Ad Standards works at arms-length from the DAAC to independently monitor participants’ compliance with the Principles and reports on the compliance of all participants annually.

ICAS members pose for a group shot.

March saw President & CEO, Catherine Bate, represent Ad Standards at the annual International Council for Advertising Self-Regulation (ICAS) Conference—live from Mumbai, India!

In amongst the meetings and presentations, Catherine moderated a 90-minute session, bringing together three *fire starters* on key issues facing advertising self-regulatory organizations, globally, including automation and AI in self-regulation processes, capacity building and cross-border cooperation.

It was an incredible opportunity to connect with other experts from around the world, exchange ideas, and tackle the challenges of advertising self‑regulation.

Ad Standards greatly values these opportunities to work with other global leaders with the aim of making self-regulation stronger, more efficient, and more effective at home and abroad.

Catherine Bate discusses automation and AI in self‑regulation processes, with Stephane Martin from Autorité de Régulation Professionnelle de la Publicité, France’s self‑regulatory organization.

ICAS members gather in Mumbai to exchange ideas and strengthen global self-regulation.

Ad Standards Annual General Meeting

June 17 | 12:30 p.m. ET

Calling all primary representatives from our member companies! Ad Standards’ virtual Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 17 at 12:30. Primary representatives of member companies received an email inviting them to register for the event or fill out a proxy. If you did not receive an email, please reach out to Shelley Samel. 

Ad Standards collaborated with Numerator for a second time to find out the impact of a misleading ad on consumer behaviour, and more, with The State of Advertising Perceptions & Attitudes in Canada survey. In field in Fall 2024, members of the public were surveyed to build a picture of consumer attitudes toward:

• what makes advertising acceptable or unacceptable;
• AI, environmental claims, and diversity in advertising;
• brands and specific industry sectors;
• the role of rules and regulations in advertising.

With insights from over 1,700 Canadians, broken out by generation, this study provides insights that will help better connect with audiences.

Catherine Bate highlights Ad Standards’ recent work.

Ad Standards was pleased to attend and present at the 2025 GALA Advertising Law Conference in Toronto, hosted by Harris + co. and Miller Thomson LLP.

The event brought together expert speakers from across Canada, the U.S., Central, and South America to explore key topics in advertising law, including influencer marketing, dark patterns, green claims, and evolving regulatory trends.

Our President & CEO, Catherine Bate, joined Kelly Harris (Harris + co.) and Melissa Landau Steinman (Venable LLP) for a dynamic fireside chat, offering a Canadian self-regulatory perspective and highlighting how Ad Standards is supporting—and shaping—the future of responsible advertising.

Attendees were given an opportunity to meet and discuss the morning’s content.

Panelists, left to right: Kelly Harris, Catherine Bate, and Melissa Landau Steinman.

The conference offered a valuable opportunity for select members of the Ad Standards team to engage with legal experts and industry players, including some Ad Standards members, while contributing to ongoing discussions about responsible advertising.