Advertising Association vs GiveActions

UK Junk Food Ad Ban Tweak Could Cost £1 Billion

The UK advertising industry is assessing the potential financial impact of proposed government changes to the rules banning advertisements for less healthy food and drink products (LHFs). Current regulations, effective January 2026, restrict TV ads before the 9pm watershed and block online ads. The government is considering updating the nutrient profiling model (NPM) from the 2004 version to a stricter 2018 version, which would expand the range of products covered by the ban. Research by Oxford Economics, commissioned by the Advertising Association, estimates that applying the 2018 NPM in 2025 would have affected an additional £300-£400 million in ad spend, potentially bringing the total impacted expenditure to £1 billion. The industry, including broadcasters like ITV (which lost £20M in H1 revenue) and trade groups, warns of significant investment loss and calls for scrutiny before extending restrictions, fearing disruption to adapted campaigns and harm to the creative industries.

• Current UK rules ban TV ads for less healthy food and drink before 9pm and block online ads.
• Government plans to update the nutrient profiling model from 2004 to a stricter 2018 version.
• Oxford Economics estimates an additional £300-400 million of ad spend would be affected by the tweak.

UK TV Ad Market Set for Growth After Flat Q1

The Advertising Association and WARC reported that UK ad spend rose 9.3% year‑on‑year to £11.7 billion in Q1 2026, prompting upward revisions to 2026 and 2027 forecasts. While digital channels such as retail media, social media and search saw double‑digit or strong growth, linear TV remained broadly flat despite a 15.5% rise in addressable TV, with overall TV up only 0.8% in Q1. The forecast expects total UK ad investment to reach £50.5 billion in 2026 (+8.2%) and £53.5 billion in 2027 (+5.9%), with TV predicted to grow 3.7% in 2026 and 3.0% in 2027, partly anticipating uplift from the FIFA World Cup. Cinema and some published/other display sectors declined in Q1 but cinema is expected to recover later in the year.

• UK ad spend rose 9.3% year‑on‑year to £11.7 billion in Q1 2026, per the Advertising Association and WARC Expenditure Report.
• Addressable TV ad spend increased 15.5% in Q1 2026, with total TV up 0.8% in the quarter.
• Search attracted £4.6 billion in ad investment during Q1 2026 and remained the largest market share.

GiveActions et le Conseil de la Publicité s’associent pour accompagner les entreprises face aux nouvelles règles contre le greenwashing

New blog post dated 16.09.2026 announces a partnership between GiveActions and the Conseil de la Publicité to help companies comply with new anti-greenwashing rules.