So, you’ve decided to make a commercial. Congratulations!
You have a great creative and production team, but what about the legal restrictions for advertising on TV?
This is where Clearcast comes in.
You may have heard the name Clearcast but what is it? And how does it work? Below we answer these questions and more with a client’s introduction to Clearcast.
So what is Clearcast?
Clearcast is an advertisement clearance service used to make sure that your commercial adheres to the UK code of Broadcast Advertising. Every commercial in the UK will go through the Clearcast system where it will be checked for misleading, harmful or offensive content.
Now, I know this all might sound a bit daunting, but your production company or agency should take care of this process for you. Fable Studios certainly does and we are highly experienced with the ins-and-outs of the clearance process.
Get in touch at info@fablestudios.tv if you need some production support or keep reading for more info.
So, now we know what clearcast is, but how does it work?
The team at Clearcast meet every morning where they watch, discuss and review submissions. A submission can be your initial or final script, a ‘rough cut’ or the final commercial. The team have an open discussion about what restrictions and solutions they can suggest in order to get the advert on air, while making sure it adhering to the UK code of Broadcast Advertising.
A script should be submitted before anything if shot or animated. The team at clearcast will review your script and make suggestions for ‘legals’. A legal is essentially the small print you see on a lot of adverts. There are very specific design regulations regarding font and size which needs to be taken into consideration.
They may also ask you for evidence to support the claims made in the advert – this is called ‘substantiation’. This is a document that proves that your claims are legitimate and correct.
After filming, the next stage is to submit a rough cut, an unfinished version of your commercial. This is submitted by your production company so ClearCast can check it has adhered to the script and will be cleared.
The final ‘clocked’ (a unique identifying number added) ad is submitted last. This should be a formality because the rough cut has already passed clearance. It is worth mentioning that if you make any changes to your advert after clearance, no matter how small, you will need to resubmit the advert for clearance. Well worth considering as it can have a serious impact on air dates!
Once your commercial has been cleared, you are ready to send it to broadcast. Your clock number will be used to identify your advert by all of the broadcast stations and can also be used to track the commercial.
Now, as a client, this is all you really need to know. Your production company or agency will help you or take care of this process for you.
If you would like to find out more information about ClearCast or any type of production support, get in touch!
Let’s get started…
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