Political Advertising

What is political advertising?

Advertising is considered political when its purpose is to influence:

• voting or voting behaviour
• the outcome of an election or referendum
• a legislative or regulatory process at national, regional, or EU level

Advertising is also considered political when it is funded by a political actor, such as:

• a political party
• a politician or election candidate
• a campaign organization or support group acting on behalf of a political actor

Political advertising can also be conducted by companies and organisations

Political advertising is not limited to political parties or candidates. Advertising may also be considered political when it is created or funded by a company, trade association, NGO, industry organisation, or other entity if its purpose is to influence political decision-making, legislation, or regulation.

Typical examples of political advertising include:

Campaigns by companies, organisations, or industry associations aimed at promoting, opposing, or changing specific laws, regulations, or public policy.
Advertising campaigns by NGOs seeking to initiate, prevent, or amend legislation or regulatory decisions.
Advertising that is clearly linked to an ongoing legislative or regulatory process and seeks to influence public opinion or decision-makers as part of that process.
Paid campaigns containing calls to action related to a political process, such as urging action by policy-makers or taking a position on regulatory initiatives.

In these situations, advertising may be considered political regardless of whether the advertiser is a political actor, provided that the message is intended and likely to influence political decision-making.

What is not considered political advertising?

Not all advertising that addresses societal or topical issues is considered political advertising. The following are generally not regarded as political advertising:

• Purely commercial advertising, even if it relates to topics that are part of a broader public debate, provided that its purpose is not to influence legislation or a political process.
  (For example, advertising renewable energy solutions without reference to regulation or legislative change.)
• General information campaigns intended to provide information without seeking to influence political decision-making.
  (For example, campaigns relating to safety, public health, or fraud prevention.)
• Charity and fundraising campaigns that do not seek to influence elections, voting behaviour, or legislation.
• Neutral public authority communications, such as notices providing information about advance voting locations or administrative procedures.

How should political advertising be assessed?

The assessment should be based on the following factors in particular:

• the objective of the advertising.
• whether the message relates to an ongoing or proposed political, legislative, or regulatory process.
• the content, tone, timing, and targeting of the message.

If the purpose of the advertising is to influence political decision-making, regulation, or legislation, the advertising may fall within the scope of political advertising rules, even when the advertiser is a company or organisation.

If you are unsure whether an advertisement should be classified as political advertising, please contact Sanoma at the planning stage. We will help assess the situation and ensure that the campaign can be executed in compliance with applicable requirements.

Political advertisements must clearly display the following information, regardless of the media channel used:

Identification as political advertising

The advertisement must clearly indicate that it is a political advertisement. The disclosure must be easily noticeable, prominent, and unambiguous.

Name of the sponsor

The name of the sponsor must be included in the advertisement. The sponsor may be a business entity (trade name) or an individual (first and last name).

A sponsor is defined as the natural or legal person on whose behalf or at whose request the political advertisement is prepared, placed, promoted, published, displayed, or otherwise disseminated.

Name of the controlling entity

Where applicable, the name of the entity that exercises control over the sponsor must also be disclosed.

This applies where another organisation has decisive influence over the sponsor’s decision-making, such as a parent company within a corporate group.

Subject matter

The advertisement must clearly state what it relates to, such as:

• an election (e.g. Parliamentary Elections 2027)
• a referendum
• a legislative or regulatory initiative

Reference to the transparency notice

Information about the advertisement, its funding, and the entity that paid for it must be made available through a transparency notice.

Depending on the advertising channel, this information should be provided through:

• a QR code,
• a URL link, or
• an audio instruction directing the audience to the transparency notice.

Political advertisements must include a transparency notice containing information about, among other things, the sponsor of the advertising campaign, the campaign budget, and the origin of the funds.

The transparency notice must be submitted well in advance of the planned campaign launch date by completing the transparency notice form available at:

avoimuusilmoitus.sanoma.fi

Please note that this form applies only to political advertisements published in Sanoma’s media channels.

Submit a transparency notice

Published transparency notices are also available in Sanoma’s Political Advertising Transparency Register. The register provides a transparent overview of political advertising published across Sanoma’s media channels.

avoimuusrekisteri.sanoma.fi

Advertising materials must be delivered in a final format and include all required disclosures and markings in accordance with the applicable guidelines.

If an advertisement is missing mandatory disclosures or is otherwise incomplete or non-compliant, the publisher reserves the right to reject the advertisement and not publish it.

To ensure sufficient time for review and any necessary corrections, we recommend submitting advertising materials for verification well in advance of the planned publication date.