The delay in updated guidance on the Less Healthy Foods (LHF) ad ban is more than a regulatory grey area - it’s creating real commercial risk.

With Q4 planning in motion, advertisers face the prospect of rewriting strategies mid-cycle. But beyond the planning headache, procurement and investment teams are now being forced to commit media budgets under regulatory ambiguity. That’s a serious problem. Without clarity, contracts risk misalignment with the law, challenging both compliance and value assurance.

The uncertainty is already distorting market dynamics. Demand is shifting prematurely into exempt channels like audio and DOOH, driving early price pressure. If brand advertising remains in scope, we’re likely to see price inflation not where audience value increases - but where regulation forces displacement.

The wider risk? A breakdown in trust between advertisers, agencies, and media owners. Markets need consistency to deliver value. Prolonged ambiguity weakens the foundations of effective investment.

Scenario planning is no longer optional. Advertisers must test a range of outcomes, and media owners should prepare for volatile shifts in demand. Above all, regulators and government must restore clarity, fast. Because every week of uncertainty adds cost, complexity, and compromise.

Uncertainty over the UK’s less-healthy food (LHF) ad ban is disrupting Q4 media planning as advertisers await revised guidance from the ASA and CAP. Legal advice suggests brand advertising could fall within the ban’s scope, contradicting government claims that it will be exempt.

The lack of clarity has caused brands to delay commitments, especially for TV, risking a 25% market contraction. Audio and digital out-of-home channels, largely exempt, are seeing increased interest.

Industry leaders are calling for explicit legal exemptions or further delays, warning that without clarity, both advertisers and media owners could face serious financial consequences.