ITC publishes guidelines for pools TV advertising

The Independent Television Commission has unveiled its long-awaited guidelines for football pools advertising on television. The first commercials may be screened as early as April 1.

Littlewoods Pools is readying its television advertising drive and says it is prepared to go on air “at the soonest possible” date. Creative work for a new campaign is already on the drawing board at Littlewoods’ ad agency, Lowe Howard-Spink.

The ITC guidelines tie pools operators to the same conditions for TV advertising as the National Lottery. The companies must not promote the pools to people under 16, use personalities with particular appeal to that age group and must not present pools as an alternative to work or a way out of financial difficulties.

Littlewoods has yet to decide if it will increase its £8m an-nual advertising expenditure (Register MEAL). Steve Cooper, account director at LH-S, says the company is unlikely to match Camelot’s estimated £50m spend.

Zetters and Vernons, the two other pools operators, were unavailable for comment, although it has been suggested advertising on television could be too expensive for the companies.