Advertising films, games and commercial video on-demand

In New Zealand, there are specific requirements for including classification or rating information in film and game advertisements.

Different requirements apply to different formats, such as print advertising (posters, newspapers and magazines), trailers that are screened in cinemas or on television, online advertisements, and radio advertisements.

Print advertising for films and games

Posters, slicks or other printed pictorial advertisements (in relation to a film or game) must be approved by the Film and Video Labelling Body before being displayed in stores, cinemas, or other places where films or games are supplied or exhibited to the public.

Film and game advertising in print formats must include the classification or rating symbol and descriptive note that the film or game has received. Use a copy of the film or game's label where possible.

There are requirements for displaying classification information in print advertising:

• The content of the label must be easily readable, including the descriptive note.
• The content of the label must be placed next to the title of the film.
• On a poster, the content of the label must be in letters that are at least 2cm high.
• In a newspaper, the content of the label must be in letters no smaller than 6 point font.

Cinema and TV advertising for films and games

Trailers advertising films or games in cinemas or on TV must show a film or game's classification or rating symbol along with the descriptive note. The label must be clearly legible for at least 5 seconds. In cinemas the label must be displayed immediately after the trailer has ended, on television the label can be displayed at any time during the advertisement/commercial. 

Note that trailers must be rated or classified before they are exhibited in cinemas. For more information about getting trailers rated, read about how to submit films and games for classification.

Trailers should be selected and scheduled in accordance with industry guidelines. Read more about selecting trailers for exhibition on our page about exhibiting films to the public.

Online advertising for films and games

Regulations are not specific about requirements for online advertising of classification information.

We recommend that the classification (eg M, R13, R16) and descriptive note (eg 'contains violence') be displayed on online advertising material (such as a website banner) in a way that is easily readable to people browsing on a website. Classification information should appear next to the title of the film.

We recommend that online trailers display the classification symbol (e.g. M, R13, R16), an explanation of that symbol (e.g. "recommended for mature audiences 16 years and over") and the descriptive note (e.g. "contains violence"). This information should be displayed legibly on the screen for at least 5 seconds.

Radio advertising for films and games

Radio advertisements for a film or game must include a statement at the end of the advertisement describing the rating or classification for the film or game. The statement must specify:

• The rating or classification symbol, for example G, M, R13 etc.
• The descriptive note, for example "contains violence".

Advertising for commercial video on-demand

There are no regulations requiring advertisements for commercial video on-demand (CVoD) content to contain classification or self-rating information. However, consumers recognise and appreciate this information as it helps guide them to make safe and informed choices about what to watch.

We recommend that the classification (eg M, R16) or self-rating (eg M, 16), and descriptive note (eg 'Violence'), be displayed on advertising material in a way that is easily readable to people listening to, watching or browsing the advertisement. This information should appear next to the title of the show.

We recommend that trailers for CVoD content display the classification or self-rating symbol (eg M, 13, R16), an explanation of that symbol (eg 'Suitable for ages 13 and over') and the descriptive note (eg 'Violence'). This information should be displayed legibly on the screen for at least 5 seconds.

CVoD providers are required to display particular information on title pages and for ancillary content. These requirements can be found in the Regulations.