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    CONAR what it is and how the council that regulates advertising works

    CONAR what it is and how the council that regulates advertising worksCONAR what it is and how the council that regulates advertising works

    by Team AllYourVideogames | Nov 10, 2022 | Entrepreneurship |


    You must be wondering: after all: conar what is and what is your role in our country?



    With the beginning of the pandemic, we follow the latest news of the increase in the number of musical lives on YouTube. The broadcast of the country singer Gusttavo Lima fell into controversy after Conar opened a representation against his presentation.

    Conar what is it?

    As announced in the title, the acronym CONAR stands for National Council for Advertising Self-Regulation. It operates nationwide and aims to monitor ethics in commercial advertisements.

    Whenever an advertising piece uses some type of discriminatory content, disrespects the consumer or even other companies, Conar can take action. On the council's website, you can read its mission, which is based on:

    “Prevent misleading or abusive advertising from causing embarrassment to consumers or businesses and defend freedom of commercial expression.”

    Since its creation in 1978 by the Our Country Association of Advertisers (ABA), more than 10.000 representations against linked advertising in our country have been judged by Conar.

    What is Conar and how did it come about?

    Conar emerged in the late 70s, with a threat from the federal government to previously analyze advertising content in our country. The proposal was seen as an act of censorship of advertising agencies in the country.



    To prevent this law from being sanctioned, some of the most famous advertisers in the country were inspired by an English model and suggested the creation of our country's Code of Advertising Self-Regulation.

    The code aimed to guarantee freedom of expression in advertisements in the country and also to maintain advertising ethics, based on compliance with the following precepts:

    • Every advertisement must be honest and truthful and respect the laws of the country;
    • Every advertisement must be prepared with a proper sense of social responsibility, avoiding accentuating social differences;
    • Every advertisement must bear in mind the responsibility of the production chain with the consumer;
    • Every advertisement must respect the principle of fair competition;
    • Every advertisement must respect the advertising activity and not undermine the public's trust in the services provided by advertising.

    What is Conar and what is it for?

    Conar acts as a supervisory body. However, he does not have the autonomy to block a commercial or request its change. This happens because Conar does not have the power to police, but rather to give guidelines so that no advertising piece goes against its ethical principles.


    Normally, when someone feels offended or notices an irregularity in a commercial, they can file a complaint with Conar. The entity handles complaints from the entire consumer society, its associates, the authorities and also those made internally.

    Learn more: Creative Ads: 18 Creative Ads to Get Inspired

    Even not having the power to remove an advertisement from the air, the agency may suggest improvements. As soon as the complaint is answered, the agency recommends that the vehicles broadcasting the denounced commercial withdraw it from the air. In addition, the body can suggest changes for improvements and adaptation to the civil code and also warn the creative agency and advertisers.



    As it is a highly respected body in the advertising field, the guidelines issued by it are usually followed by professionals. Its Ethics Council has eight Chambers, based in our city, Rio de Janeiro, our city, Porto Alegre and Recife and is made up of 180 counselors.

    Conar Lives: the Gusttavo Lima case

    Why did a live by Gusttavo Lima become a subject within Conar?

    The controversy arose after the singer recommended and consumed alcohol from a sponsoring brand during the broadcast of a live.

    As in our country, the sale of alcoholic beverages is prohibited for those under 18, advertisers need to follow a series of recommendations. For example, content can only be served at an appropriate time.

    At the time, Conar stated that it had received dozens of complaints from consumers.

    Advertisements banned by Conar

    As we mentioned at the beginning of the text, more than 10 thousand advertising pieces have already been analyzed and judged by Conar over the years.


    All complaints, as well as the resulting “sentences”, can be followed up on the Conar website.

    The agency provides online history of decisions since the 80s. In addition to being a key to the study of advertising evolution, reading helps agencies and advertisers not to make the same mistakes that others have already made. It is worth reading.


    Learn More: How to avoid Facebook disapproved ads.

    How to open a complaint in Conar

    As we have already said: any person from civil society can file a complaint with Conar. To do so, simply send your complaint via website, email or also a letter addressed to one of the aforementioned chambers.

    Anonymous reports are not accepted. Therefore, to enforce your complaint, you must identify yourself in your communication. Another important clarification is that Conar does not judge the offer of products or services, but only their advertising.


    There is no specific number of complaints for the judgment to be analyzed. A single complaint, as long as it is in accordance with our country's Advertising Self-Regulation Code, may have a process initiated.

    Say Extra

    It may seem that only large companies can be reported to Conar. But this statement is false. Any business that runs an advertising campaign, whether on television, the internet, social networks, etc., can have its advertising pieces denounced.

    So, before hiring or even producing advertising content to promote your products and services, it is important to know Conar's advertising rules for your market.


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