When a political ad lands on your desk
Processing a political advertisement requires a few additional steps compared to a standard ad booking. This checklist gives your ad sales, editorial, and layout staff a clear sequence to follow for every political ad that comes in.
Print this out, keep it at the relevant desks, and follow it for each booking. Over time, these steps become routine -- but until they do, a written checklist prevents mistakes.
Step 1: Identify -- Is this a political ad?
Not every ad from a political actor is automatically a political ad, and not every political ad comes from a political party. Check two things:
Who is the sponsor? If the advertiser is a political party, a candidate for elected office, an elected official, or a political advocacy organization, the ad is likely covered by the regulation.
What is the content? If the ad could reasonably be understood as intended to influence the outcome of an election, a referendum, or a legislative process, it is covered -- regardless of who placed it. An issue-based campaign by an NGO that relates to an upcoming vote is political advertising under Art. 2(2) PAR.
When in doubt, treat it as political. It is better to verify a notice for an ad that turns out not to require one than to skip verification for an ad that does.
Step 2: Request the notice ID
Ask the advertiser for their The Taurus public ID or the URL of their transparency notice. The public ID is a 17-digit number, and the notice URL follows the format ttad.eu/{publicId}.
What to say:
"Under the EU Political Advertising Regulation, we need to verify a transparency notice for this ad before publication. Please provide your notice ID or URL from The Taurus."
If the advertiser does not have a notice yet, direct them to thetaurus.com to create one. Creating a notice takes about 10 minutes. Do not accept the ad for publication until the notice exists.
Step 3: Verify completeness
Open the notice at ttad.eu/{publicId} and check that all required fields are filled:
- Sponsor -- name, address, and contact details are present
- Payer -- identified (may be the same as the sponsor)
- Costs -- at least one cost entry is listed
- Publication period -- dates are specified
- Distribution territory -- the country is identified
- Election linkage -- the relevant election or legislative process is referenced
- Complaint mechanism -- a way for the public to raise concerns is described
If any mandatory field is empty or shows a placeholder, the notice is not yet complete. Contact the advertiser and ask them to finish it before you proceed.
Step 4: Cross-check the details
Compare the information on the notice with what you know about the advertiser:
- Does the sponsor name match? The name on the transparency notice should match the entity that placed the ad booking. If the notice says "SPD Ortsverein Mitte" but the booking came from "Schmidt Werbeagentur," ask the advertiser to explain the relationship.
- Is the address plausible? You do not need to verify it in a register, but the address should exist and make sense for the type of entity. A post office box for a major party is unusual; a residential address for an individual candidate is normal.
- Do the dates align? The publication period on the notice should include the dates you have agreed for the ad placement. If the notice says January but the ad runs in March, the notice needs updating.
You are not conducting an investigation. You are applying the judgment of a competent professional: does this information make sense together?
Step 5: Check the QR code
The advertiser should provide a QR code that links to their notice. Before you integrate it into the layout:
- Scan the QR code with a phone or scanner
- Verify it opens the correct notice -- the one matching this specific ad, not a different notice by the same advertiser
- Confirm the page loads correctly and displays the transparency information
If the advertiser provides a QR code image that does not scan or links to the wrong notice, ask them to provide the correct one. You can also download the QR code directly from the notice page on The Taurus.
Step 6: Layout integration
Place the QR code within or adjacent to the advertisement. Key requirements:
- Minimum size: 15mm x 15mm. Below this size, many phone cameras cannot reliably scan the code. For large-format ads (full page, half page), go larger -- 20mm or more.
- Sufficient contrast. The QR code must be clearly visible against the background. Black on white is safest. Avoid placing the code over photographs or busy graphics.
- Clear placement. The QR code should be recognizable as belonging to the ad. Place it within the ad space or immediately adjacent, with a small label like "Transparency notice" or "Transparenzhinweis" if space allows.
- Quiet zone. Leave a margin of at least 2mm around the QR code -- do not crowd it with text or other elements.
If the advertiser's layout does not include the QR code, add it yourself in consultation with the advertiser. The regulation requires the notice to be accessible from the ad, and the QR code is the standard method for print.
Step 7: Print test
Before the final print run, verify the QR code on a proof:
- Print a proof at the actual publication size
- Scan the QR code from the proof with a standard smartphone camera
- Confirm it resolves to the correct transparency notice page
This step catches issues that digital proofing misses: the QR code might be too small at actual print size, the paper quality might affect scanning, or the code might have been distorted during layout adjustments.
If the QR code does not scan reliably, increase the size, improve the contrast, or regenerate the code.
Step 8: Archive
Save the following information for your records:
- Notice ID (the 17-digit public ID)
- Publication date(s) of the ad
- Verification date (when you checked the notice)
- Who verified (which staff member performed the check)
The regulation requires retention of transparency-related records for five years (Art. 12 PAR). You may need this documentation if a competent authority asks you to demonstrate that you fulfilled your verification duty.
A simple spreadsheet or entry in your ad booking system is sufficient. The key is that the record exists and can be retrieved.
Common problems and solutions
The advertiser does not have a notice yet
This is the most common issue, especially in the early months of enforcement. Direct them to thetaurus.com and explain that creating a notice takes about 10 minutes. Offer to walk them through it if needed. Do not publish the ad until the notice is complete.
The QR code is too small
If the advertiser's layout includes a QR code smaller than 15mm, ask for a revised layout or offer to adjust it during your layout process. A QR code that cannot be scanned defeats the purpose of the transparency notice.
The notice is incomplete
If mandatory fields are missing, contact the advertiser and specify which fields need to be completed. The Taurus's wizard validates completeness, so if the notice was published through The Taurus, this situation is uncommon -- but it can happen with notices from other platforms.
The sponsor name does not match the advertiser
This is not necessarily a problem. A party headquarters may place ads on behalf of local branches, or an agency may book on behalf of a client. The key question is whether the relationship is plausible. Ask the advertiser to explain, and document the explanation.
The advertiser says transparency notices are not required for their ad
You are not in a position to give legal advice, but you can explain your policy: as a publisher, you verify transparency notices for all ads that appear to be political advertising under the regulation. If the advertiser disagrees, they should consult their own legal counsel. In the meantime, having a notice is always safe -- it cannot hurt, and it protects both parties.