Advertising trade bodies have united to help agencies, brands and platforms prepare for October 1 crackdown on Less Healthy Food advertising
With Q4 planning well underway, UK advertising’s leading trade bodies have launched a joint awareness drive urging all advertising and marketing professionals working on Less Healthy Food (LHF) campaigns to prepare for incoming restrictions — due to take effect from October 1, 2025.
The Advertising Association, ISBA, IPA, and IAB UK have come together to deliver a coordinated campaign aimed at agencies, brands, media owners, tech platforms, and influencer marketers – offering clear guidance, training resources and a one-page explainer to ensure the industry is ready.
From October, LHF product ads must not appear before the 9pm watershed on Ofcom-regulated TV and on-demand services — or in any paid-for digital advertising, at any time. Although the legal enforcement date has moved to January 2026, the industry has committed to treating October 1 as a hard deadline through a voluntary agreement with Government — a move seen as critical in securing the long-fought brand exemption.
“It is imperative that our industry is fully informed,” said Stephen Woodford, CEO of the Advertising Association. “This campaign is a collaborative effort to help everyone — from advertiser to agency, media owner to tech company — understand what is being asked of them. It’s about demonstrating our commitment to responsible advertising while protecting brand advertising rights.”
The campaign includes tailored messaging for seasonal campaigns, such as “Don’t be on the Naughty List” for Christmas and “Don’t get Tricked when showing Treats” for Halloween — with a clear call for all stakeholders to audit their Q4 creative and media plans now.
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Richard Lindsay, Director of Legal & Public Affairs at the IPA, stressed: “Agencies have been working toward the October 1 compliance date for over two years. We’re asking them to meet the terms of the Industry Agreement as if the restrictions were coming into force that day — because operationally, they are.”
Additional support is available for members, including detailed FAQs, an online training video, and two webinars with policy experts — running on 12 August (2–3.30pm) and 10 September (11am–12.30pm).
The push is also backed by the Alliance of Independent Agencies, PPA, Magnetic, and the Influencer Marketing Trade Body — each reinforcing the need for alignment across the supply chain.
Sinead Coogan-Jobes, Head of Policy & Public Affairs at IAB UK, added: “Suppliers and partners across the online ad ecosystem need to step up. Advertisers must adapt strategies now to avoid LHF product ads appearing online from October.”
