Autocontrol has appointed José Miguel García-Gasco Martínez, General Director of Atresmedia Publicidad, as the new President of the advertising self-regulation association. The appointment took place within the framework of the 31st General Assembly of the entity, held at the Repsol headquarters, and represents the replacement of Xavi Pons, of Idilia Foods, after completing his maximum term of office.
The appointment comes at a particularly significant time for the advertising industry, conditioned by regulatory tightening in digital environments, the growth of formats such as influencer marketing and a growing demand for transparency, consumer protection and brand responsibility. In this context, García-Gasco has claimed the role of self-regulation as a strategic tool for the sector. “At a time of profound transformation of the advertising ecosystem, self-regulation is consolidated as an essential pillar to ensure transparency, credibility and consumer protection and to guarantee trust that is more necessary today than ever in our industry”he pointed out. “It is the best guarantee that the sector evolves in a responsible and sustainable way.”
Accumulates nearly three decades of experience in the field of media advertising marketing
The new President accumulates nearly three decades of experience in the field of media advertising marketing. He has experience in television, radio, cinema, press, pay television, thematic channels and the Internet since 1997, and also works as a Professor of Communication at the La Salle MBA.
He began his professional career at Publiespaña, exclusive advertising manager for Telecinco, before joining Antena 3 to direct the Marketing Services Department and later the Strategic Marketing area. In 2005 he joined the Sogecable Group to lead, from a commercial point of view, the launch of channel Cuatro, defining its strategy and positioning. At the end of 2006 he returned to the Antena 3 group to direct the Operations and Marketing Department of Atres Advertising, the group’s exclusive advertising company, and between January 2015 and July 2016 he served as Deputy General Director of Atresmedia Publicidad.
Along with him, Autocontrol has appointed Antonio Bengoa, from Telefónica, as Vice Presidents; José María Rull, from Omnicom Advertising; Gema Núñez, from Google; and Reyes Justribó, from IAB Spain. Mauricio García de Quevedo, from FIAB, will continue to serve as Treasurer.
Rise of control over influencers
During the Assembly, Patricia Zabala, General Director of Autocontrol, presented the main activity data corresponding to the year 2025, which reflects the growth and consolidation of the self-regulation model in Spain.
The association reviewed a total of 32,003 advertising campaigns before their dissemination through the Copy Advice system, and managed more than 4,700 legal and deontological queries related to commercial communication.
In terms of data protection, Autocontrol responded to more than 9,500 consumer queries and more than 2,300 complaints, in addition to exceeding 1,200 queries linked to the telecommunications sector.
One of the areas that has gained the most prominence is influencer marketing. The association has continued to develop specific tools to reinforce transparency and regulatory compliance in this environment, such as the Code of Conduct on advertising through influencers or the Basic Training Certificate on advertising regulations for content creators. Currently, the program already has more than 5,000 registered participants and has accumulated more than 4,500 certificates issued.
“The data confirm that the industry is committed to self-regulation”Zabala commented during his speech. “Our goal is to continue strengthening this model, adapting it to the new challenges of the digital environment and consolidating it as a tool to generate trust between companies, consumers and regulators.”
During 2025, Autocontrol incorporated a total of 62 new member entities, thus reinforcing its position as one of the main mechanisms for the prevention and resolution of advertising disputes in Europe. Currently, the association collaborates with 28 Public Administrations and has, in addition to its Advertising Code of Conduct, a total of 21 active sectoral codes.
