Advertising on a diet

In an effort to combat childhood obesity, the UK has imposed severe limits on the advertising of food and drinks high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS, for short).

HFSS products are banned from TV advertising before 9 pm and are totally banned from paid online advertising.

Note the word "products."  Brands can still advertise as long as they do not show the offending products. In other words, UK consumers probably will still see McDonald's ads during the day, but those ads won't include Big Macs.

Mark Ritson speculates in The Drum that this all may unfold differently than the government or consumers expect. He believes the restrictions will force brands to create better advertising that includes more emphasis on colors, sounds, characters, taglines, and other distinctive brand assets—as opposed to dullsville ads that hammer on product attributes and functional benefits.

Could such a ban cross the Atlantic to the US? Maybe not. That pesky First Amendment makes that a little tougher, although we already have restrictions on cigarettes and alcohol, and the current push for cleaner food is real. 

But even if the laws in the US don't shift, perhaps some marketers will. There is something to be said for brand building at a more emotional level, rather than simply touting a product.