Countdown to October 1: UK Advertising Restrictions Awareness Drive
Published: 31 Jul 2025
Every UK advertising and marketing professional involved in Less Healthy Food (LHF) campaigns urged to understand incoming restrictions
Trade bodies to provide FAQs and online training
London, July 31, 2025: A group of UK advertising’s trade bodies including the Advertising Association, ISBA, the IPA, IAB UK, has launched a comprehensive, cross-industry awareness campaign to help professionals working on Q4 campaigns understand the incoming Less Healthy Food (LHF) advertising restrictions. The campaign will signpost key resources including FAQs and online training to help the industry comply with the restrictions from October 1, 2025.
The campaign highlights an Industry Agreement with the Government that 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. 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. It 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 said: “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, IPA, said: “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.”
Rob Newman, Director of Public Affairs, ISBA, said: “The LHF industry agreement is about trust. Government has listened to industry representations regarding the brand exemption; now it’s incumbent on advertisers to play their part by making every effort to avoid running product ads from October 1.
“In every conversation we’ve had with our members, ISBA has heard how advertisers are committed to adhering to the agreement. We’ll continue to provide advice and support so that advertisers can run compliant ads, and have clarity on content as we head into Q4.”
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.”
Organisations also supporting the roll-out include:
Helen Anderson, Executive Director, Alliance of Independent Agencies, said: “The Alliance of Independent Agencies wholeheartedly encourages all our nearly 2,000 members and the wider independent agency sector, a further 23k active agencies and independent practitioners in the UK, to comply with the new industry agreement for the Government's restrictions on Less Healthy Food on TV, digital and Ofcom on-demand channels from October to ensure we are playing our part to protect future generations and to tackle issues like childhood obesity.”
Scott Guthrie, Director General, Influencer Marketing Trade Body, said: “Trust is a central tenet of responsible influencer marketing. The LHF industry agreement is a good example of this trust. From October 1, sponsoring brands, influencer marketing practitioners and content creators must make every effort to stop running product ads.
“Today’s launch pulls together FAQs and webinar training to explain the nuts and bolts of this LHF industry agreement and helps the industry comply with the restrictions from October.”
Saj Merali, CEO, PPA, said: “As publishers of trusted editorial brands, our members have long upheld the highest standards when it comes to responsible advertising. We fully support this cross-industry effort to ensure clarity and compliance around the incoming LHF restrictions. Magnetic and the PPA are committed to helping publishers navigate this shift, championing transparency, trust, and quality.”
For anyone working in advertising, a one-page explainer is available on the Advertising Association’s resource hub here. Two additional webinars will be held for industry to have their questions answered by policy experts, to be held on the following dates: 2-3.30pm on 12 August and 11am-12.30pm on 10 September. Registrations can be made here.
In addition, for members of trade bodies, a more detailed FAQ is available on request along with an online training video. Further resources will roll out over the next two months across trade body websites, newsletters and social media channels.
For further information, companies are encouraged to visit their trade body website or Clearcast for TV advertisers.
ends-
Notes to editors:
A voluntary Industry Agreement states that from October 1, advertisements for specific identifiable less healthy food or drink products should not be run on TV or on-demand services between 5:30 am and 9 pm (including on ODPS or IPTV channels that are regulated by Ofcom), or as paid-for advertisements online at any time (including on Video On Demand and IPTV services not regulated by Ofcom).
The information supplied by the campaign’s resources is intended as a guide and should not be treated as legal advice.
For more information, please contact:
Advertising Association
Matt Bourn, Director of Communications
Mariella Brown, Senior Communications Manager
About the Advertising Association
The Advertising Association promotes the role and rights of responsible advertising – trusted, inclusive and sustainable – and its value to people, society, businesses, and the economy. Responsible businesses understand that there is little point in an advertisement that people cannot trust. That's why, over 50 years ago, the Advertising Association led UK advertising towards a system of independent self-regulation which has since been adopted around the world. There are nearly thirty UK trade associations representing advertising, media and marketing. Through the Advertising Association they come together with a single voice when speaking to policy makers and influencers.
About the IPA
Incorporated by Royal Charter, the IPA’s role is to advance the value, theory and practice of advertising, media and marketing communications; to promote best practice standards in these fields; and to ensure that the work it does will benefit the public, the wider business community and the national economy. It has a well-earned reputation for thought leadership, best practice and continuous professional development and also provides core support and advisory services. Its membership base is predominantly made up of corporate members who collectively handle over 90% of the UK’s annual £36bn ad spend and who represent over 4,000 brands and employ over 26,000 staff. Based in the United Kingdom for over 100 years, IPA programmes can be found in more than 60 countries worldwide.
About ISBA
ISBA is the only body that represents brand owners advertising in the UK. We empower them to understand the industry and shape its future because we bring together a powerful community of marketers with common interests; lead decision-making with knowledge and insight; and give a single voice to advocacy for the improvement of the industry.
ISBA is a member of the Advertising Association and represents advertisers on the Committee of Advertising Practice and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice, sister organisations of the Advertising Standards Association, which are responsible for writing the Advertising Codes. We are also members of the World Federation of Advertisers. We can use our leadership role in such bodies to set and promote high industry standards as well as a robust self-regulatory regime.
About IAB UK
The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB UK) is the industry body for digital advertising, committed to building a better future for digital advertising, for the benefit of everyone. We do this by bringing our members together - including media owners, platforms, agencies, ad tech and brands - to solve shared challenges, demonstrate how great advertising drives growth, and look ahead to help businesses prepare for the future.
Find out more at iabuk.com
About the Alliance of Independent Agencies
The Alliance of Independent Agencies (The Alliance) is the definitive home of the UK’s largest independent agency community, representing over 1,800 agencies. This includes the Indie Agency Club (formerly known as Agencynomics), a community of 1,700 agency founders, and the Alliance of Media Independents (AMI), which represents top independent media agencies with Nielsen billings of £1.6 Billion, The Alliance provides a unified platform for independent agencies across various sectors. Its mission is to support and champion these agencies through collaboration, innovation, and the delivery of unparalleled resources and insights. The Alliance provides a collaborative platform for members to thrive, fostering connections, insights, and opportunities that drive growth and innovation in an everchanging market. www.allindependentagencies.org
About IMTB
The IMTB is a UK-based not-for-profit professional membership organisation dedicated to building a robust, sustainable future for the influencer marketing industry through increased accountability, governance and a unified voice.
Member organisations sign up to a code of conduct when joining the IMTB. The code articulates specific requirements for members. These are the behaviours that members must demonstrate when they are providing business services and ensure our members are always responsible, accountable, transparent and competent.
IMTB represents influencer marketing on the Committee of Advertising Practice ("CAP") as a member. It co-owns the Influencer Marketing Code of Conduct alongside ISBA. The Code aims to standardise good practices and guidance with brands, agencies and creators. It covers areas including disclosure, transparency, pay parity, and effective representation.
About the PPA
PPA membership is made up of modern, multi-platform media businesses carving out a new future defined by trusted, quality content. Whether on the page, online, or face-to-face, PPA members create professional, inspirational and influential media content that engages and influences audiences.
Today the PPA represents a strong vibrant membership of trusted editorial consumer titles, innovative digital only- brands, essential business publications, and emerging tech partners, with an ambition to champion members’ interests at the highest level while future-proofing the sector.
Its 270+ members include 150 of the UK’s largest publishing houses, including Bauer Media Group, Condé Nast, Future PLC, Haymarket Media Group, Hearst UK, Immediate Media Co, Incisive Media, New Scientist and William Reed Business Media, as well as many smaller independent publishers.
Our members remain an integral part of the media industry. The sector is worth £3.74 billion to the UK economy, employing around 55,000 people, and with more than 38 million adults in the UK reading a magazine each month.
For more information visit www.ppa.co.uk
Categories: Industry News