The UK advertising trade body community, including the Advertising Association, ISBA, the IPA and the IAB UK, have come together to launch a new campaign to educate the industry on restrictions on Less Healthy Food (LHF) Advertising.

The trade bodies will be signposting key resources, including online training, to help support the industry to comply with the new regulations, which come into force from October 1. 

The new restrictions mean that advertising 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. This voluntary agreement enables the Government to clarify the law to ensure brand advertising remains exempt from the incoming legislation.

The awareness drive includes seasonal catchphrases to remember when planning festive ads, such as ‘Don’t be on the Naughty List’ as well as ‘Don’t get Tricked when showing Treats’ for Halloween campaigns. 

The cross-industry collaboration aims to encourage widespread awareness for advertisers, agency creatives and planners, media owner sales teams, influencer marketing agencies, and FMCG leads at tech companies.

Stephen Woodford, CEO, Advertising Association, explained: “The October 1 deadline for LHF advertising restrictions is fast approaching and it is imperative that our industry is fully informed. This campaign is a collaborative effort to help everyone working in our industry – from advertiser to agency; media owner to tech company – understand what is being asked of them. It is a vital part of demonstrating the industry’s commitment to responsible advertising, while enabling advertisers to continue advertising their brands through an exemption promised by the Government during the legislative process.”

Richard Lindsay, Director of Legal & Public Affairs at  IPA, added: “The advertising restrictions on less healthy foods were introduced in the Health and Care Act 2022 (which amended the Communications Act 2003). Although the Government had to change their implementation date to January 5 next year to accommodate the brand exemption clarification, that shift was only confirmed in May when we signed our industry agreement with Government. Businesses, including agencies, will therefore have been working towards a compliance date of October 1, 2025 for over two years anyway, and it is vital that they continue to treat that date as set in stone, hence this joint industry initiative. We are asking agencies, then, to meet the terms of the Industry Agreement, and to comply with the restrictions, as if they were coming into force from October 1.”

Sinead Coogan-Jobes, Head of Policy & Public Affairs, IAB UK, said: “It’s essential that there is a concerted cross-industry effort to ensure that advertisers are aware of the LHF industry agreement and prepared for the restrictions as we approach October 1. Suppliers and partners across the online advertising supply chain have an important role to play to ensure advertisers know how to comply and adapt their clients’ strategies accordingly to avoid LHF product ads appearing online. We will be continuing to equip our members with resources over the next few months and encourage every business that will be impacted by the ban to draw on the webinars, FAQs and guides available. The Government listened to our industry’s case regarding brand advertising. It’s now for us - as an industry - to show that decision was the right one by upholding the agreement in good faith from October 1.”