Back in 2022, I wrote about the then-delayed Less Healthy Foods (LHF) advertising restrictions, until recently also known as the High Fat Salt Sugar (HFSS) ad ban. Fast-forward to November 2025, the legislation will now come into effect on the 5th January 2026.
The UK Government has set out clear plans to make sweeping changes to UK LHF advertising rules to help tackle obesity. If you market products that are high in fat, salt, or sugar, these changes will reshape how you reach your audience – unless you are a brand with 245 or fewer employees which makes you exempt from the restrictions.
Alongside a 9pm watershed on TV adverts and restrictions on in-store promotions, you’ll need to prepare for a total online ad ban (regardless of age) for products with high fat, salt and sugar content. These restrictions apply to products classified as “less healthy” based on nutrient profiling, including confectionery, biscuits and cakes, crisps and savoury snacks, sugary drinks, breakfast cereals, ice cream and desserts, and ready meals.
These reforms will have a major impact on how you engage consumers if you work in FMCG. However, there are some exemptions you can take advantage of, including:
- Audio-only ads such as podcasts or music-only streaming services
- Ads paid for by SMEs for products they make or sell
- Brand ads where you do not depict LHF products
- Non-paid for marketing in your own media such as your website or organic social content
- B2B ads
- Digital out-of-home ads
If you haven’t already been planning ahead, now is the time to get moving. A vital first step is to evaluate your marketing strategies and understand how much of a challenge this new legislation will be for you. Fortunately, LHF products are not the first to face advertising restrictions. Other regulated industries such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling and soft drinks have operated in constrained marketing environments for some time but have still been able to reach audiences and grow sales. You can learn from their creative and often lateral approaches, starting with a laser-like focus on your consumers.
What the 2026 LHF ad ban means for UK marketers
It’s important for you to experiment with your marketing mix and different media touchpoints to reach consumers. Start by understanding what has worked well for you in the past: which common threads connected your previous successful campaigns, and how could you translate these to other formats? While there are different intricacies to good online and TV advertising versus print, outdoor and radio campaigns, the core pillars of effectiveness are consistent across all channels — it comes back to really knowing your customer, what they want and enjoy.
Our Media Reactions research shows that some of the touchpoints not impacted by the legislation are actually among the most receptive for consumers. Our latest data, released September 2025, shows that digital out-of-home and Podcasts are the most receptive digital channels for consumers.
Now is an ideal time for you to test newer formats and apply any lessons to your long-term strategy. This is already starting to happen: the top 5 channels where UK marketers expect to increase their spend in 2026 include podcasts and digital out-of-home. 
You should also think outside the box and consider non-traditional tactics. Take inspiration from brands like Red Bull, which uses experiential channels and events to maintain presence of mind for shoppers while abiding by advertising regulations. You can communicate your brand values through non-traditional, often humorous content, sponsored events and guerrilla marketing.
Interestingly, offline sponsored events are in the top 5 preferred channels among UK marketers (Top 5 – 1st to 5th: Cinema, Offline sponsored events, Broadcast TV, TV sponsorship), but do not feature in the top 15 channels where they expect to increase spend in 2026.
Whatever route you take, identifying a core message that will resonate with your consumers and sticking to it is key.
Focus on difference
Beyond this, you should remember that your product and the experience it offers to buyers is your main selling point. This period of reflection before new ad restrictions take hold provides an opportunity for you to reassess how you make your brand stand out in your category.
Analysis of our brand equity ranking data, BrandZ, highlights that brands that are meaningfully different grow five times faster than other brands. Meaningful Difference is a proven superpower.
Take confectionery brand Tony’s Chocolonely — they combine high-quality chocolate and interesting flavours with environmentally friendly packaging and a message about ethical provenance built into the design of the chocolate bar itself. Customers not only enjoy an indulgent and tasty snack, they feel good about the product they’ve bought. Tony’s puts the emphasis on sustainability and responsible sourcing, but the issues will be different for your brand. The point is that you need to strike a chord with consumers and make yourself distinctive.
Adopt creative strategies from other regulated industries
The Government has put an end to uncertainty and speculation around new advertising rules for LHF brands. You now know that you have to reassess your marketing strategies. Thankfully, you don’t have to walk an untrodden path — look to businesses already operating successfully in regulated industries (tobacco, gambling, soft-drinks) for ways to maximise media channels in creative and different ways.
Key to getting this right is understanding who buys your products and why—something which should ultimately be the foundation of every good campaign.
Testing and measuring success post-ban
As the new LHF advertising restrictions come into force, it’s more important than ever to understand what’s working for your brand and where you might need to adapt. With familiar channels now limited, and channels and strategies fragmenting, testing and learning becomes more important. By regularly testing your creative, tracking how your brand is perceived, and measuring the effectiveness of your media choices, you’ll be better equipped to navigate this evolving landscape. Drawing on independent research and robust measurement tools—such as those available from Kantar—can help you make informed decisions, refine your approach, and ensure your brand continues to connect with consumers in meaningful ways.