Italy Issued a Law Banning Children under 14 to Involve in Commercial Ads
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Italy's advertising industry is up in arms over a law banning the use of children under 14 from appearing in commercials. The ban has little support, but came about after parliamentary wrangling over a media reform bill.
Promoting nappies without babies seems almost impossible, how on earth could you get this product a context. In Italy the advertising industry will have to find a way. Filming children under 14 for any advert is now banned. The big agencies are appalled.
"The family is very important for Italians for the...for the Italian contents, that's why you see many spots with families, and that's why eh this could be a little problem, how can you present a family without children?"
There are commercials where a baby might not be entirely appropriate. But children are used in Italy to promote almost everything.
Adverts like this can still be shown in Italy, and they can be shot abroad, they just can't be produced at home or involve Italian children. "It's obviously helped the northern children that look like Italians to shoot more commercials than before."
Advertisers hope the ban will be lifted this Autumn, but Italian politics can be very unpredictable.
Gil Ivers BBC News, Rome.
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