CARU Refers Advertising for ‘Jurassic World’ to MPAA for Review

New York, NY – July 21, 2015 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit referred advertising for Universal Pictures’ “Jurassic World” – rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America – to the MPAA for review.

CARU is an investigative unit of the advertising industry system of self-regulation. It is administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus.

Television advertising for the film came to CARU’s attention through its routine monitoring practices. The commercial for Jurassic World, rated PG-13 for “intense sequences of science-fiction violence and peril,” aired during the program “Adventure Time” at 6 p.m., raising concerns about the appropriateness of advertising a film rated PG-13 to children.

Under the terms of a referral agreement entered into with the MPAA, if CARU finds an advertisement for a film rated PG-13, R or NC-17 in any medium primarily directed to children under 12, CARU will refer the matter to the MPAA Advertising Administration to determine whether the film is appropriate to be advertised to children.

In response to CARU’s inquiry, the MPAA stated that the advertising at issue was appropriately placed within the guidelines of the MPAA’s Advertising Administration.

“The MPAA Advertising Administration approves advertising for rated motion pictures on a case-by-case basis, taking various factors into consideration, including not only the rating of the motion picture, but its content, the content of the programming with which it will be placed and the time of day in which the ad is run. The PG-13 rating is a stronger caution to parents that they should investigate the motion picture before taking their young children; it does not necessarily mean that the motion picture is inappropriate for children under 13. Indeed, that determination is best left to parents, who know and understand the sensitivities of their children.

“Generally, a few PG-13 rated motion pictures are considered by the Advertising Administration to be compatible with children’s programs or networks, based on the content of the movie, the advertisement and the program with which the advertisements are placed. In the case of Jurassic World, which is a sci-fi action/adventure motion picture directed to younger audiences, placed on “Adventure Time,” rated T-PG and geared to older kids and tweens, and taking into consideration the TV ads themselves, none of which contained strong depictions of violence, the Advertising Administration determined that the placement was appropriate for the program on which it aired.”