Archie Norman, chair of Marks & Spencer, has warned that the government’s upcoming junk food ban is nothing less than “regulating to stop people talking about mince pies.” HFSS ads are due to be banned before 9pm from October – just ahead of the Christmas ad season.
Speaking at the Retail Technology Show (reported in the Financial Times), Norman said: “You won’t be able to run an ad that includes Christmas pudding, your mince pies or sausages.”
Supermarket Christmas ads are usually heaving with HFSS food. Even Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot doesn’t have enough beta-carotene and fibre to make up for the chocolate and processed meats he is surrounded by.
The Grocer has calculated that eight out of ten of 2024’s most effective Christmas adverts, based on Kantar data, would be banned under the new regulation. The list is heavy on supermarkets including M&S, Sainsbury’s and Aldi, as well as big-spending brands that don’t major on healthy living like KFC and Coca-Cola.
Employers’ national insurance rises and a new levy to reduce unsustainable packaging are also set to hit retailers’ profits, as well as the inevitable negative repercussions from the new US tariffs. So, while the supermarkets have long been pretty greedy with profits, taking all these shocks at once will be a challenge.
M&S’ food advertising is currently done in-house, but all the agencies that look forward to their Christmas creative showcases will have to think hard about how to circumvent the new restrictions – assuming they go ahead as planned. Brussels sprouts might be healthy, but they just don’t have the same mass appeal as the sweet treats and salty snacks that usually fill the advertisers’ Christmas tables.
