New campaign against misleading advertising: spot the pufferfish!

What is the campaign about?

This campaign aims to help young people in particular spot misleading ads and encourages them to warn each other. Everyone can join in. See a suspicious ad? Post a comment with the pufferfish emoji (🐡) to alert others. Want to do more? You can file a report or an official complaint with the SRC.

What types of ads are often misleading?

Some types of advertising are extra suspicious, such as:

• ‘Get rich quick’ schemes
• False health claims
• Ads featuring celebrities without their knowledge

It is now easier than ever to report misleading ads on social media. But that doesn't mean they'll disappear immediately. That's why the SRC works closely with platforms and regulators. Sometimes, one complaint can be enough to prompt an investigation by the Advertising Code Committee.

Why is this campaign necessary?

Nielsen research shows that 67% of young people (Gen-Z) trust influencer advertising, while only 25% know how to report misleading content. The SRC wants to make this easier and encourage people to take action.

This campaign builds on previous initiatives, such as the Influencer Certificate. More than 2,000 influencers have already earned this certificate to show they understand and follow the rules for advertising. Even so, misleading ads still run rife on social media.

With this campaign, the SRC hopes to help young people in particular will recognise and report misleading ads. Because honest advertising is in everyone's best interest!

What can you do?

See a misleading ad? Post the puffer fish emoji to warn others. Want to do more? Go to the SRC to submit a complaint.

Want to know more? 

Read more about this campaign on the SRC website: Kogelvis - Stichting Reclame Code (in Dutch).