Two supermarkets could face advertising bans under a new marketing rule. The Advertising Standards Authority has announced that Lidl and Iceland both violated new regulations.
The rules, brought in on January 5, ban advertisements for HFSS (high in fat, salt, or sugar) products from being shown on TV before 9pm and in paid online content at any time. Key categories include soft drinks, confectionery, snacks, pizzas, ice cream, cakes, and breakfast cereals. It was introduced as part of the Government’s attempt to address childhood obesity rates, which are rising across the UK. As of 2022, HFSS products cannot be placed in prominent, high-traffic areas such as store entrances, aisle ends, or checkouts. There are also bans on volume-based promotions such as “buy one get one free” (BOGOF) or “three for two” for HFSS products.
Lidl Northern Ireland worked with influencer Emma Kearney on an Instagram video showcasing the supermarket’s bakery range.
A complaint said that the pain suisse, a French pastry with vanilla cream and chocolate chips featured in the video, is a “less healthy” food under new rules.
Lidl said in response that the advert did feature “identifiable” junk food, as per the Advertising Standards Authority’s new categories.
Iceland placed ads on the Daily Mail website featuring sweets including Swizzels Sweet Treats, Chupa Chups Laces, Choose Disco Stix, and Haribo Elf Surprises.
The supermarket said that it requests nutritional information from suppliers but that there are “gaps” in the data it receives. They will now have a data provider put together monthly nutritional assessments of all products.
Both complaints were upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority, with the supermarkets told to ensure future marketing was aligned with regulations.