There are legislative requirements around the use of authorisation tags on government advertising.
Requirements for authorisation tags
Victorian Government campaign advertising must have an authorisation tag to show the source of the message. The tag content depends on the advertising channel.
Non-campaign advertising (functional and recruitment advertising) doesn't require an authorisation tag as it contains only factual or administrative information. Examples of non-campaign advertising include tenders, road closures and statutory notices.
Emergency warnings don't require an authorisation tag.
See the Victorian Government Communication Guidelines for definitions of campaign and non-campaign advertising.
Television, cinema and online video advertising
All Victorian Government campaign television, cinema and online video advertising must include an authorisation tag:
- The pre-end frame should contain the Victorian State Government logo and relevant website address.
- The pre-end frame should be followed by a black end frame containing the Victorian State Government logo and the following authorisation tag:
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
This also applies for videos produced for other mediums (eg videos for broadcast on YouTube, social media channels or on government websites).
Here's a sample:
Requirements
- The text of the authorisation tag should be white, in ‘Futura’ typeface and centered on the screen.
- The words ‘Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne’ must be spoken at the same time as the end frame is shown on television and cinema advertising.
- The end frame must have a duration of at least 1.5 seconds.
Exceptions - non-campaign and training videos
If a video is not part of an advertising campaign, the responsible Victorian Government body should use its own name, street address and suburb, instead of ‘the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne’.
Functional videos (like training videos) don't require an authorisation tag.
Radio advertising
All Victorian Government campaign radio advertising must carry an authorisation tag as follows:
Authorised by the Victorian Government, Melbourne
The authorisation tag must be spoken at the end of the radio advertisement.
Press advertising
All press advertising must carry an authorisation tag as follows:
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
The authorisation tag must appear along the bottom of all press advertising.
Poster and billboard advertising
All posters and billboard advertising must carry an authorisation tag as follows:
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
Printed by [printing company name, suburb]
Non-video digital advertising
All digital advertising, other than online video advertising, must contain the authorisation tag as set out below.
Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne
This includes banner advertising and digital advertising appearing outdoors and in mobile applications.
The authorisation tag must appear along the bottom of the last frame of all digital advertising.
Updated