Huge rise in junk food ads before curbs take effect

Big food brands dramatically increased their spending on advertising last year, months before new junk food regulations aiming to curb Britain's obesity crisis are due to come into force, the Observer can reveal.

- James Tapper

Food companies spent an extra £420m in 2024, an increase of 26% year on year that coincided with a bumper 12 months for sales of snack foods. Shoppers bought an extra 45.4m packs of chocolate, cakes and crisps from the top-selling brands.

The spending bonanza came as campaigners said food corporations were switching tactics to circumvent the impact of the upcoming regulations, which will bring in a 9pm watershed for TV commercials showing unhealthy food products, and ban them online from October, after five years of delays.

Outdoor posters, audio advertising on podcasts and streaming services such as Spotify, and partnerships with social media influencers are not covered by the regulations.

The increase in spending and the suggestion it may have led to an increase in sales may fuel calls for further restrictions. James McDonald, the director of data, intelligence and forecasting at WARC Media, which monitors ad spend and recorded the 26% increase, said it was "not surprising that we saw sales lift in line with spend". He added: "I think the timing is interesting, given the introduction of HFSS [foods high in fat, salt or sugar] regulation this year."

New unpublished data analysed by academics at University College London and the Pan American Health Organization, including Chris van Tulleken, the NHS doctor and broadcaster, and shared with the Observer, found that the junk food ad regulations would only cover less than two-thirds of foods that could be considered unhealthy according to government nutrition guidelines.

Health campaigners say food companies are adopting tactics similar to those used by the tobacco industry in the battle over cigarette advertising, by focusing on brands and logos rather than products. The advertising industry has argued that uncertainty over regulations threatens the sector and said ministers should legislate to exempt brand-only ads from the regulations.