如果你在淘宝网搜索带有“最佳”、“最高级”和“国家级”这种字眼的词，网页上会跳出一个流泪的南瓜形吉祥物，旁边显示一行字：“ 根据相关法律法规和政策，无法显示相关宝贝”。

Clamping down on ads
史上最严广告法到底有多严

导读：时隔20年，人们翘首以盼的新《广告法》于本月1日起正式实施。这部被称为“史上最严”的新法，针对时下广告业乱象，特别是对新媒体广告与明星代言领域制定了诸多禁止条款和严厉的处罚规定。同时，让处于“模糊地带”的宣传语被正式禁用，并明确了罚款额度。新广告法获得了公众的一致好评。

If you search for words like “best”, “highest”, and “state-level” on the e-commerce service Taobao, you now find nothing more than a pumpkin-headed mascot gushing tears and a message saying the results cannot be displayed “due to law restrictions”.
如果你在淘宝网搜索带有“最佳”、“最高级”和“国家级”这种字眼的词，网页上会跳出一个流泪的南瓜形吉祥物，旁边显示一行字：“ 根据相关法律法规和政策，无法显示相关宝贝”。

The message refers to China’s new advertising law, which was put into effect on Sept 1. Experts say it will reshape advertising in China.
这条信息里所指的法律就是中国最新修订的广告法，它于本月1日正式实施。有专家表示新广告法将重塑中国广告行业。

The updated law is regarded as the strictest in history since it bans lies and exaggeration in all forms of advertisement. It’s not a new rule, but previously it wasn’t implemented strictly. The old law also didn’t specify what counts as a violation. Now advertisers have clearly defined rules.
因为禁止虚假广告和夸大宣传，新修订的广告法也被称为史上最严广告法。当然这不是一个新的规定，不过之前的广告法确实没有这么严格地实施过。另外旧版广告法也没有明确界定哪种广告是不合法的。现在新广告法明确规定了这些细节。

Before it was amended, Chinese advertising law had been in place for 20 years. Butmarketing evolved dramatically over the two decades, especially with the arrival of the Internet. Web services changed the landscape of advertising, according to Liu Xingliang, director of the market research agency Data Center of China Internet（DCCI）.
此次修订之前，旧版广告法已经施行了二十年。但二十年间市场营销方式发生了翻天覆地的变化，特别是网络时代到来之后。互联网研究院院长刘兴亮认为网络服务颠覆了传统广告业。

“Before the Internet took off, there weren’t such things as pop-up ads. But they have become one of the most important forms of advertising since then. It’s almost impossible for consumers to avoid or close them,” he told Beijing Times.
“互联网流行之前，根本没有什么弹窗广告。不过弹窗是目前众多网站的重要广告模式之一，用户根本不可能屏蔽和关闭它们。”刘兴亮告诉《京华时报》。

With the revised advertising law, consumers now are able to skip pop-up ads. This is a reflection of “the government’s determination to protect consumers’ right,” said Liu Junhai, a professor of law at Renmin University of China.
不过有了新广告法，用户就不用再受弹窗的骚扰了。中国人民大学法学教授刘俊海说，这是“政府决心保护消费者权益“的表现。

“More importantly, the new law emphasizes its implementation, levying a fine between 200,000 and 1 million yuan for violations,” he said.
他还说：“更重要的是，新广告法强调细则的实施，违规者最高可处以20万元以上100万元以下罚款。”

Such a heavy fine is an especially big deal for small businesses, according to Li Junhui, a special researcher from the Intellectual Property Research Center at the China University of Political Science and Law.
中国政法大学知识产权研究中心特约研究员李俊慧认为，如此高的罚款金额对一些小商家来说威慑力不小。

“Most of them advertise on WeChat, which means their advertising costs are low. Under such circumstances, more than 200,000 yuan is a huge amount,” he said.
“很多小商家在微信上做广告，这也说明他们花在广告上的钱不多。这种情况下，超过20万元的罚款对他们来说不是一笔小数目。”

Endorsers beware
代言需谨慎

Apart from restrictions on superlatives and methods of online advertising, the new law also governs how brands can use celebrity endorsers.
除了禁用极限词和规范网络广告传播，新广告法还对广告代言人做出了更严格的规定。

After shooting to fame through Hunan TV’s “Dad, Where Are We Going?” (《爸爸去哪儿》), child stars on the show have transformed into celebrity spokespeople for milk,travel and educational products. However, under the amended law, children under age 10 cannot endorse products at all.
湖南台热门真人秀节目《爸爸去哪儿》里的一些童星也变成了明星，开始代言牛奶、旅游和教育类产品。不过，新广告法规定不得利用不满10周岁的未成年人作为广告代言人。

Moreover, celebrity endorsers can be held responsible for false claims in ads. They can only recommend products that they’ve used themselves.
此外，明星代言虚假广告需要承担相应法律责任。他们只能推荐自己使用过的产品。

Young people like Tang Qi, a 22-year-old advertising student from Xiamen University, applauded the reforms.
很多年轻人赞同广告法的改革。唐琪，22岁，厦门大学广告系学生就是其中一个。

“Having celebrities in advertisements certainly draws consumers’ attention. Show Lo (罗志祥) and Jiro Wang (汪东城) particularly got my attention when they endorsed sanitary pads. But consumers are getting skeptical of these tactics. The new law came right at a time when advertisers need to rethink the messages they want to send to theconsumers,” she said.
唐琪认为：“明星代言当然更容易吸引消费者的眼球。我就特别注意到了罗志祥和汪东城代言卫生巾。不过消费者正在对这种营销策略产生怀疑态度。新广告法的出台恰逢其时，广告商确实需要好好反思一下他们的广告会给消费者传递什么样的信息。”

转载自网络