IPA Says HFSS Ad Ban Will Cost Millions For Broadcasters

Broadcasters will lose millions of pounds if the pre-9pm ban on high fat salt sugar (HFSS) advertising aimed at children is introduced, said the IPA.

The Institute has labelled the potential ban as “sensationalist, misguided and unjustified” and has said it will not solve the problem of obesity.

“Food advertising is already a declining sector. It has been for some time, the same period in fact in which obesity levels have risen. So advertising is not to blame for obesity levels rising,” it said.

The IPA has also questioned the legitimacy of the Food Standards Authority’s call for an outright ban.

“Their own research shows that advertising only has a modest (2%) direct effect on children’s food preferences. We see their call for a ban as purely a tactic to grab the headlines and to put pressure on Ofcom two weeks before the closing date of the consultation,” said the IPA.

“We are also surprised that the FSA has ignored the impact of the proposed changes to the rules to prevent the use of licensed characters, celebrities and promotional offers in ads targeted at children under ten.”

The IPA TouchPoints consumer centric survey released in March 2006 shows that a typical 15-year-old spends 35% of his/her waking time in front of a screen: 9 hours of this on game consoles and browsing the internet.

Marina Palomba of the IPA said: “It is nonsense to accuse advertisers of making people fat when some well known food brands have been advertised on television for over forty years.

“There is no such thing as a bad food. Only a bad diet. Obesity is about a calories in and calories out issue. And obesity levels have increased since playing fields have been sold off and compulsory sports removed from school curriculums.”

The IPA will be making a submission to the consultation by the new deadline of 30 June 2006. The opposition to the ban supports other high-profile calls for the ban not to be introduced (see Ad Ban To Hurt Independent TV Shows), and comes after Ofcom itself released figures suggesting broadcasters would lose revenue with the ban (see Channel Revenue To Fall With Junk Ad Ban).

However, a delegation of Labour MPs, led by sponsor of the Children’s Food Bill, Mary Creagh, recently met Ofcom to demand the introduction of the ban on junk food advertising aimed at children (see MPs Demand Junk Ad Ban From Ofcom).

IPA: 020 7235 7020 www.ipa.co.uk