With new Advertising Standards rules coming into place in the UK, HFSS (High Fat, Salt or Sugar) and LHF (Less Healthy Food) brands are being forced to explore new, compliant routes to market and communication.
The rules in short:
- The brand is ultimately accountable for compliance. This matters even more in advertising ecosystems built around creators, affiliates, and partnerships.
- There is a total ban for paid online advertising for LHF products, alongside existing HFSS restrictions such as the 9pm watershed on broadcast advertising and promotional pricing restrictions.
For brands without a healthier option to focus on, a different strategy and approach to media is required.
Maximising your brand’s own channels
Owned channels become more important when paid routes narrow. Brands can build value through useful content, strong communities, and experiences that make the brand relevant beyond a single product message.
Doubling down on range-led storytelling
Range-led storytelling allows brands to communicate the wider world around their products, including lifestyle, culture, ingredients, occasions, and responsible choices.
The goal is not to avoid creativity or connection. It is to create relevance in ways that are compliant, distinctive, and genuinely useful to audiences.