Creative Acceptance Policy

All advertising content must be appropriate for a general audience and must comply with all laws, rules and regulations that apply to the advertiser, the advertising content, and any location where the advertisements may appear.

Sharethrough requires that advertisers and their agency partners review their advertising creative with the following guidelines in mind before submitting for approval or running on the Sharethrough Exchange. Sharethrough retains the right to deny any creative at any time.

Please see Creative Spec Requirements for technical requirements.

Terms of this Creative Acceptance Policy:

1. Advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations. Failure to comply with these policies may result in a variety of consequences, including the cancellation of ads you have placed and the termination of your access.
2. We reserve the right to reject, approve or remove any ad for any reason, in our sole discretion, including ads that negatively affect our relationship with our users or that promote content, services, or activities, contrary to our competitive position, interests, or advertising philosophy.
3. These policies are subject to change at any time without notice.

1. Ad Content:

• The advertising buyer must be in agreement with the brand they are representing.
• The advertising buyer must have ownership or permission from the owner to use the images and content in their advertisement.
• The advertisement must drive to relevant content that is also shown on the ad images.
• The advertisement cannot be intrusive to user experience.  All-caps lettering in the headline or description or any like action will not be accepted.
• The thumbnails may not have disruptive or dishonest action images such as false buttons, blinking images, etc.
• The creative may not use Sharethrough logos or trademarks, or mention or refer to Sharethrough, in any manner, without Sharethrough’s prior consent.

As part of our commitment to provide the highest quality audience experience, we may not accept ads containing certain content, or relating to certain offers, products or services. These restrictions include, but are not limited to the following content, offers, products or services across all placements:

2. Restricted Content:

2.1. Free Offers, Sweepstakes & Contests:

• Sharethrough is a premium platform that does not accept advertisements that promote free offers, sweepstakes & contests.

2.2. Medical, Pharmaceutical, Health & Beauty Products:

• Ads and landing pages must not use unsupported or exaggerated claims, or set unrealistic expectations of the effectiveness of the product.
• Non-prescription health and beauty products cannot claim to be as effective as prescription products.
• Weight loss products should not claim that the customer can lose weight by use of the product alone, or without following a calorie controlled diet and exercise program. Ads cannot suggest that weight loss results will be effective for everyone or that results are permanent.
• Ads cannot explicitly reference potentially embarrassing bodily functions or conditions.
• Intimate personal healthcare products that can cause embarrassment to user.

2.3. Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Content: 

• Alcohol ads on the Sharethrough platform:
  • Must only be targeted to LDA-compliant inventory.  LDA Compliance implies that Alcohol advertising (beers, wines, spirits, liquors) should only be placed where 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be of legal purchase age in their jurisdiction. 
  • Must promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages and must not disparage abstinence from such beverages.
  • Cannot be directed toward, contain images or content designed to appeal to, or contain images of, minors.

2.4. Cannabis, CBD, THC Content: 

• Buyers must comply with all applicable laws in their jurisdiction
• No cannabis, CBD, THC, or related ads are allowed anywhere in the world except as noted below
• In the United States and Canada, ads for products containing CBD are allowed under the following conditions:
  • Product must contain only CBD derived from legally-grown hemp and contain less than 0.03% THC
  • No therapeutic claims can be made
  • Must only be targeted to legal age-compliant inventory.  Legal age Compliance implies that 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 years old+ or of legal purchase age in their jurisdiction, whichever is older. 
  • Cannot be directed toward, contain images or content designed to appeal to, or contain images of, minors.
• In addition, in Canada, THC-containing product ads are allowed under the following conditions:
  • No therapeutic claims can be made
  • Must only be targeted to legal age-compliant inventory.  Legal age Compliance implies that 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 years old+ or of legal purchase age in their jurisdiction, whichever is older. 
  • Cannot be directed toward, contain images or content designed to appeal to, or contain images of, minors.
  • Local provinces and municipalities may impose different regulations which must be followed.

2.5. E-cigarettes: 

• Buyers must comply with all applicable laws in their jurisdiction
• No e-cigarette ads are allowed anywhere in the world except as noted below
• In the United States and the UK, e-cigarette ads are allowed under the following conditions:
  • No therapeutic claims can be made
  • Must only be targeted to legal age-compliant inventory.  Legal age Compliance implies that 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be 21 years old+ or of legal purchase age in their jurisdiction, whichever is older. 
  • Must promote responsible consumption/use
  • Cannot be directed toward, or contain images or content designed to appeal to, or contain images of, minors.
  • All warnings required by applicable laws or regulations must be included

2.6. Gambling and sports betting: 

• Casino-game related ads are not accepted globally
• Sports betting ads are accepted in the United Kingdom under the following conditions:
  • Must only be targeted to legal drinking age (LDA)-compliant inventory.  LDA Compliance implies that 71.6% of the audience is reasonably expected to be of legal purchase age in their jurisdiction. 
  • Must promote responsible consumption/use
  • Cannot be directed toward, or contain images or content designed to appeal to, or contain images of, minors.

3. Unacceptable Ad Content:

• Content that is emotionally exploitative, controversial or that uses negative depictions of humans or animals (e.g. images of actual or implied abuse or mistreatment)
• Content that is obscene, defamatory, libelous, or infringing or invasive of intellectual or personal rights
• Content that is threatening, abusive, harassing, hateful, or that incites violence or intolerance, or that advocates or discriminates against a protected group, whether based on race, color, national origin, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age or other category
• Content that promotes any illegal, deceptive or dangerous products, services, or activities, including hacking or evading law enforcement
• Deceptive, false or misleading content
• Excessive violence including blood, gore, and violent gun play
• Foul, vulgar or obscene language, scatological references, or content that features nudity
• Overtly provocative imagery such as partial nudity or blatantly sexual prurient content

4. Unacceptable Products & Services:

The following products are unacceptable except under the specific circumstances noted in section 2 above.

• Gambling or gambling paraphernalia, including online gambling, poker or bingo
• Unlicensed/unaccredited healthcare practitioners.
• Illicit drugs, drug paraphernalia or products to beat drug tests, any substance or material containing Salvia Divinorum or Salvinorin A
• Medical research solicitations
• 900 phone numbers and other pay-per-call services
• Online pharmacies
• Pornography, escort services and products claiming to enhance sex, as well as other "adult" sexual products and services
• Products or services deemed to be used for privacy invasion
• Products or services that infringe, encourage, or enable, the infringement of intellectual property or personal rights
• Products that are 'marketed to children' through messaging, imagery, or targeting
• Psychics and related services
• Questionable or dangerous activities, including (but not limited to) false document services, counterfeit designer goods, cable descramblers, fireworks, websites that promote hacking or evading law enforcement
• Religious or spiritual products and services
• Tobacco or tobacco related products, including e-cigarettes and accessories
• Aerosol paint and etching cream
• Hand gun safety certificates
• Lethal or non-lethal weapon sales, including guns, gun parts, BB guns, bows, mace, blank powder, ammunition and firearm accessories
• Supplements containing ephedrine alkaloids