In order to ensure that ad content does not appeal to minors, signatories of the RMP have developed a comprehensive exclusion list of over 40 practices and techniques that are likely to be disproportionately appealing to minors. This exclusion list is regularly updated as we continually monitor and fine-tune best practices in order to avoid appealing to minors.
In 2019, the European Advertising Standards Alliance monitored the content of RMP member ads, and 98% of ads monitored did not feature a single element from the exclusion list [1].
[1] Monitored in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, UK
APPEAL RULES: EXCLUSION LIST
Real characters*
ACTORS
- Any actor/model below 25 years old in real life.
In addition, they must not feature:
- School teachers/personnel;
- Child/teenage-related leaders;
- Child-related performers & child-related entertainers;
- Child-related fairy tale characters.
CELEBRITIES
- Any celebrity whose audience is primarily composed of minors;
- Any celebrity below 25 years old, whenever this celebrity actively and explicitly endorses the brand and is core to the commercial communication in his/her individual capacity.
Fictional characters
HUMAN FICTIONAL CHARACTERS
- Any fictional character (or any associated elements) whose audience is primarily composed of minors;
- Any fictional character below 25 years old, whenever this character actively and explicitly endorses the brand and is core to the commercial communication in its individual capacity.
ANIMATED / CARTOON CHARACTERS
- Any animated cartoon character extracted from a piece of work primarily viewed and/or read by minors;
- Any animated cartoon character whose style and design are evidently childish.
Character’s style
DRESS SENSE
- Any child/teenage-related uniforms;
- Outfits directly inspired by such uniforms.
BEHAVIOUR
- Bullying;
- Teenage peer pressure;
- Teenage rebellion.
GESTURES
- Any gestures extracted from child/teenage body language.
Environment
ACTION (storyline)
- Any visual flashbacks to childhood and/or to adolescence;
- Childish pranks;
- Rites of passage from adolescence to adulthood;
- Teenage/childish challenges;
- Teenage romances/infatuations and ‘first times’.
SETTING (place/time)
- Any child-related fairy tales and/or child-related fantasy worlds;
- Schools;
- Child-related attractions, child-related roller coasters, and merry-go-rounds;
- Playgrounds;
- Zoos;
- Skate parks;
- Teen clubs;
- Indoor game arcades accessible to minors;
- Summer camps for minors.
MUSIC
- Any music of a singer/musician whose audience is composed mainly of minors;
- Any music/song which is primarily listened to by minors;
- Any singer/musician younger than 25 years old when the song explicitly promotes a brand, the band is promoting the brand and the musician in question is core to the commercial communication in her or his individual capacity.
Other
SPORTS
- Any athletes whose audience is primarily composed of minors;
- Any sports which are primarily followed by minors;
- Any athlete below 25 years old, whenever he/she actively and explicitly endorses the brand and is core to the commercial communication in its individual capacity.
DRAWINGS
- Any child scribbles or drawings;
- Any drawings the style and design of which are evidently childish.
OBJECTS
- Child-related toys;
- Objects extracted from child/baby tableware sets;
- Dummies;
- School-related objects.

For more information on the Responsible Marketing Pact, please contact Julia Quintella at rmp@wfanet.org