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Advertising unclassified films and computer games

Advertising for an unclassified film or computer game must display an 'advertising message.'

This requirement to display an advertising message applies to print and electronic film directories and a range of advertising including print, moving image, internet and cinema trailers.

The requirements summarised in this section are contained in a legislative Instrument known as the Classification (Advertising of Unclassified Films and Computer Games Scheme) Determination 2009. The instrument prescribes the various versions of the advertising message and the advertising matter on which it must be displayed.

What does the advertising message look like?

Depending on the size and type of advertisement, the advertising message will be either:

  • The short advertising message the letters CTC, which stand for 'Check the Classification', or 
  • The long advertising message the statement: 'Check the Classification.'

The short advertising message can be used for film directories, print and internet advertising.

The long advertising message has different versions for different types and sizes of advertising. These are:

  • A long advertising message box for print and internet advertising
  • A ten second ticker for moving image advertising such as internet and mobile phone advertising (can be either static or animated), and 
  • Three and ten second tags or billboards for moving image such as cinema trailers, internet and mobile phone advertising.

Where do I get the advertising message?

Versions of the long advertising message are available as follows:

When is the advertising message not required?

Advertising messages are not required (though are still good practice) for the following:

  • advertising in the form of a window cling, display bin, standee or banner
  • print advertisements that are 300cm² or larger (examples may include a small handbill, banner, cinema poster, bus shelter poster or billboard), and
  • advertisements on the Internet that are smaller than 176 pixels x 128 pixels.

All other forms of advertising must display the advertising message.

When must advertising stop displaying the advertising message?

Advertising that needs to be updated

Once a film is classified, the advertising message must be removed from advertising for the film and be replaced with the classification marking.

Trailers for cinema-release films

Advertising messages must be replaced within seven days of the film distributor being notified of the classification. This must happen no less than 48 hours before the release of the film for public viewing.

Advertising messages must be replaced within seven days (and preferably within two days) after the notification of classification being received.

Advertising that does not need to be updated

Some material does not need to be updated. Examples of this include:

  • a printed advertisement (if the print deadline has passed)
  • a poster or billboard
  • advertising material in an in-store kiosk (such as a trailer-reel loop, a demonstration disk or an in-store retail loop)
  • advertising on a video tape, DVD or computer game that is already for sale, and
  • advertising in other formats that would be unduly onerous and not feasible to update after classification.

What are the compliance requirements for film directories (session times)?

Short advertising message

Printed, backlit or electronic guides or directories setting out times for the film screenings must include the short advertising message (CTC) after the title of the film and it must be the same height as the title.

The CTC is to be black text on a white background or white text on a black background. The advertising message must be clearly legible and the typeface and colours prominent and easily distinguishable from any other information or diagram that the message is displayed with.

Key or legend

Printed guides or directories, for example cinema session times, must include a key or legend with an explanation in text at least 2mm high of what CTC means.

Electronic guides or directories (other than a guide or a directory at a cinema), such as on the internet, must include a key or legend (or a link to a key or legend) where practicable, which includes an explanation of what CTC means.

What are the compliance requirements for print advertising?

Position

The advertising message must appear in the lower left corner of the advertisement (or as close as the practicable to the lower left corner) and must not be obscured.

Legibility

The advertising message must be clearly legible. Tthe typeface and colours must be prominent and easily distinguishable from any other information or diagram with which the message is displayed.

Advertisement of area less than 75cm² - short advertising message (CTC) in text at least 5mm high.

Advertisement of area at least 75cm² and less than 300cm² - long advertising message box in a height of at least 10mm, width of at least 31mm, and with text in a point size of at least 5.5.

Advertisement of area at least 300cm² - may display either the short or long advertising message. Please refer to Advertising that does not need an advertising message for more information.

Colour

For colour advertisements the long advertising message box must appear in colour. If the advertisement is black and white, or a combination of white and one colour, the long advertising message box must be coloured or in black and white and in high contrast to the background of the advertisement.

CMYK colour
C 0
M 50
Y 100
K 0

RGB colour
R 255
G 127
B 0

What are the compliance requirements for internet advertising (still advertising images)?

An advertisement on the internet must display either:

  • the long advertising message box, which must appear in the format and proportion of the EPS colour [EPS 489KB] and EPS mono [EPS 487KB] version, or
  • the short advertising message in high contrast to the background on which it appears and a key or legend (or a link to a key or legend) which includes an explanation of what CTC means.

The advertising message must appear in the lower left corner of the advertisement or in another prominent location in or near the advertisement.

The advertising message must be clearly legible. The typeface and colours must be prominent and easily distinguishable from any other information, diagram or moving image with which the message is displayed. The message must be displayed long enough for all of it to be read.

If the advertisement includes both moving and still images, the advertising message must appear on the still image.

If the advertisement is wholly a moving advertisement, the requirements for moving image advertisements apply instead.

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What are the compliance requirements for moving image advertising (such as trailers in the cinema, on television or on the internet)?

The advertising message must be clearly legible. The typeface and colours must be prominent and easily distinguishable from any other information, diagram or moving image which the message is displayed. The message must be displayed long enough for all of it to be read.

At the start of the advertisement:

For an advertisement less than 60 seconds: the message must be a still or a moving image, shown for at least three seconds, that includes the long advertising message in a height of at least 15 per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format, or

For an advertisement of at least 60 seconds: the message must be a still or a moving image, shown for at least 10 seconds, that includes the long advertising message in a height of at least 15per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format.

    During the advertisement:

    For an advertisement of at least 10 seconds: the message must be a ticker, shown for at least 10 seconds, that includes the long advertising message in a height of at least five per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format. The height of the ticker must be at least the greater of 32 pixel lines or five per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format. The ticker must be displayed in the area of the screen commonly known as the title-safe area, or

    For an advertisement of less than 10 seconds: the message must be a ticker, shown for the length of the advertisement, that includes the long advertising message in a height of at least five per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format. The height of the ticker must be at least the greater of 32 pixel lines or five per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format. The ticker must be displayed in the area of the screen commonly known as the title-safe area.

    To obtain a copy of the ticker, go to Where can I get the advertising message?

    For fact sheets summarising the compliance requirements for television advertising vist the Fact sheets page.

    What are the compliance requirements for moving image advertising shown on small screens (such as mobile phones)?

    The advertising message must be clearly legible. The typeface and colours prominent and easily distinguishable from any other information, diagram or moving image which the message is displayed. The message must be displayed long enough to allow it to be read.

    For advertisements on small screens with a presentation format of less than 300 pixel lines in height, such as mobile phones, the requirements are as for moving image advertisements, or one of the following:

    • the short message and a key or legend for explaining the short advertising message (if practical), or
    • as soon as possible after the start of the advertisement, a still or moving image that includes the long advertising message of any duration, either a moving or a still image of long advertising message, which is at least five per cent of the height of the active screen area of the presentation format.

    Advertising restrictions for trailers at cinemas, on products or inserts

    Unclassified films or computer games can be advertised with classified material only if the Board or an authorised advertising assessor has assessed their likely classification level as no greater than the levels in the following table.

    Classified film or computer game

    Assessed likely classification of advertised unclassified film or computer game

    G

    G

    PG

    PG or G

    M

    M, PG or G

    MA 15+

    MA 15+, M, PG or G

    R 18+ (for films only)

    R 18+, MA 15+, M, PG or G

    This means that a trailer for a film that has been assessed with a likely classification of M cannot be shown with a film that has been classified G or PG in a cinema, or be included on DVD or computer game classified G or PG, or be included in an insert for a G or PG classified DVD or computer game.

    For a list of films which have been granted an advertising exemption (until 30 June 2009) and unclassified films and computer games that have had an assessment of likely classification by the Classification Board (from 1 July 2009), refer to the classification bulletin page.

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