JOHANNESBURG: In the wake of South Africa's new regulations governing advertising to children, marketing website Biz.com has polled local advertising and marketing agencies for their comment and analysis.

They are, by and large, favourable. Draftfcb strategic planning director Rita Larisma probably speaks for many of her colleagues: "Perhaps because the original rumours around revised legislation on marketing to children were so draconian, the final code of advertising, despite its increased strictness, seems quite reasonable.

"To recap: some of the proposals [aired] included measures like no marketing to children under twelve; no children under twelve to be used in ads; and no brand characters to be used in marketing to under-twelves.

"So the fact that we can market to kids under twelve, can use kids under 12, and can also use proprietary characters to market to kids feels like a breath of fresh air.

"My overall perceptions are that I support the basic principles of new code - namely to stop marketers from encouraging kids to eat unhealthy food - and overall it seems like the new code has stuck to the spirit of this."

Data sourced from Biz.com (South Africa); additional content by WARC staff