Countdown to October 1: Trade bodies launch LHF ad restrictions awareness drive

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.

The information supplied by the campaign’s resources is intended as a guide and should not be treated as legal advice.