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DTC Ads on Google Responsive Ads Platform
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Our clients are looking to run a DTC campaign on the Google Responsive Ads platform with ads that direct consumers to a PAAB approved DTC website (disease information only, not branded) where the sponsor company logos/legal copy are always visible in the footer (per Health Canada "Guidance on distinction between advertising and other activities for health products").
Is it a PAAB and/or Health Canada requirement that the sponsor company logos or names must also appear in the Ads themselves? As this platform functions by having Google’s AI find the best-performing ad combinations to maximize results, we can’t always control whether all logos will appear (especially with text only ads which don’t allow for any logos).
Additionally, as we will be submitting the ads content for PAAB approval, does the PAAB logo always need to displayed?
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Hi @georgian21
It is a requirement of the most recent Distinction Between Advertising and Other Activities document from Health Canada, that the sponsor is identified. This can be through the logo or copy.
Pg 8: Section: Medical condition and treatment awareness materials
“Declaration of sponsorship of such materials, by name or logo, is required and does not in itself render the material promotional.”When a DTC ad is reviewed by PAAB the inclusion of the logo is preferred but not mandatory. Our logo is intended to be an indicator to the audience that the APS has undergone an independent review to meet high standards that help support the health and safety of Canadians. In text only pieces (where the platform does not allow for images), we can consider the copy “Reviewed by PAAB”. These should be rare exceptions and can be discussed during the review process. HCP and patient APS require inclusion of PAAB logo (or text when the platform does not enable inclusion of logos)
