Chris Walker, director of public and external affairs, Advertising Association, offers more info on how adland can play its part to honor the voluntary ban on less healthy ads.
If you are working on a UK food or drink campaign in Q4, there is one key date you need to be aware of – October 1.
This is when the industry’s agreement on advertising Less Healthy Food (LHF) products is implemented. The agreement brings with it a set of voluntary measures, agreed with the government, that we are strongly encouraging the industry to comply with ahead of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) assuming statutory powers from January 5, 2026.
With crucial retail periods like Christmas, Diwali, and Halloween coming up, understanding regulation has never been more important.
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There has been some confusion over what the new rules mean for our sector, and businesses want to understand how they can best comply from October 1. That is why UK advertising’s trade bodies, including the Advertising Association, ISBA, the IPA, and IAB UK, have launched a comprehensive, cross-industry awareness campaign to help marketers working on Q4 campaigns understand the incoming restrictions.
In short, from October 1, ads for identifiable LHF products should not be shown before the watershed on Ofcom-licensed TV and Ofcom-regulated on-demand services, or as paid-for online advertisements at any time. Our campaign aims to explain the details of the agreement with the government and what it means for people working in the sector.
What do you need to know?
The restrictions are being brought in by the government as part of its anti-obesity strategy. It will affect all food and drink products that are defined as ‘Less healthy’.
Information on whether the product you are advertising is in scope and suggestions on how to comply with the new rules are explained in a one-pager, which is available to everyone in the industry. For marketers that are still unsure there are webinar sessions and FAQ sections on each of the trade body’s sites.
TV and online media face might be facing restrictions, but that doesn’t mean you can’t advertise on other media like out-of-home, cinema, and print – just ensure they meet other rules set out by CAP or media channels like Transport for London.
Remember this is a voluntary agreement period for ads that run from October 1 and that come January 5 the ASA will have full legal enforcement powers and the rules will be updated again.
As an agency, I urge you to support the industry agreement and use the resources available to help your clients understand what they can and cannot do.
It’s up to every advertising professional – whether you’re at a brand, creative or planning agency, media owner sales team, influencer marketing agency, or in the FMCG team at a tech company – to create creative but compliant work in Q4 and beyond.
Produce work that respects the agreement our industry has put in place with the government, and take all necessary steps to avoid running LHF product ads from October 1.
The government recently recognised advertising as a priority for growth in the UK in the creative industries sector plan. This included an investment of £380m into the UK’s creative industries to attract new talent to join the industry, encourage innovation, cement the industry’s position on a global stage and support job creation.
Government support is important for the industry, which is why from October 1, advertisers should show they are willing to comply with the new LHF advertising restrictions. In return, the government will put in place the brand advertising exemption, that has long been expected as part of the legislation. This agreement is based on trust.
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It is time for the whole advertising ecosystem to play their part by honouring this deadline and create ads that adhere to the rules from October 1.
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