Advertising news

• Changing channels: TV streaming at turning point as most UK subscribers opt for ads

  26-12-2025 13:00
  Viewers hoping to cut bills driving switch from once-normal advert-free subscriptions now charging a premiumThe number of UK streaming subscribers on packages that include commercials has overtaken those on higher-priced ad-free plans for the first time, in a milestone for British television.The change marks a turning point for an industry that used to reject the idea of interrupting viewing with ad breaks as a relic of broadcast TV – a view championed in particular by Netflix.AppleSkyTesc
  
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• Ban on TV junk food advertising before 9pm comes into force in UK

  05-01-2026 06:00
  Watchdog will also monitor online ban for high fat and sugar products as part of wider effort to tackle childhood obesityA ban on junk food advertising on TV before 9pm and a total ban online has come into force as the government attempts to tackle the childhood obesity crisis.Under the rules, which will be enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) 13 categories of products can no longer be advertised on TV before the watershed or at any time online. The banned products are high in f
  
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• ‘Social listening’: Unilever seeks to capitalise on Vaseline’s TikTok moment

  02-01-2026 12:46
  Multinational boosts online chatter after social media users showcase product’s widespread use in life hacksAs a product discovered more than 150 years ago on a Pennsylvania oilfield, the humble pot of Vaseline may not seem like an obvious target for social media algorithms.Yet the brand’s emergence as a TikTok talking point has placed it at the forefront of an advertising revolution, in which large companies are spending big on content creators and putting fewer resources into promo
  
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• UK ministers face increased pressure to restrict gambling ads

  01-01-2026 12:41
  Polling indicates strong public backing for a much less permissive approach to promotion, including sponsorshipMinisters will come under mounting pressure to introduce curbs on gambling advertising this year, as MPs and campaigners latch on to polling that indicates widespread public support for tougher restrictions.Policies affecting gambling have been the subject of fierce debate over recent years, leading to stricter regulation of the £12.5bn-a-year sector and higher taxes announced in
  
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• The hill I will die on: Enough of the ‘Hey you!’ faux-friend nonsense. You’re a business, not my mate | Max Fletcher

  01-01-2026 11:00
  No, your communications don’t make me feel valued as an individual. A ‘Dear’ or ‘Sir’ wouldn’t hurt once in a whileHow do you feel when big corporations address you directly? (In other words, when they use the second-person pronoun “you” in their communications.) Do you feel like you’re valued? That you’re being treated as an individual? Or does it make you want to grab their CEO by the scruff of the neck and tell them to shut up?It&rsq
  
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• ITV agrees to invest £3m in fitness app created by Joe Wicks

  31-12-2025 16:35
  The Body Coach app, launched in pandemic, will advertise on ITV’s channels and video platform ITVX under dealThe broadcaster ITV has agreed to invest up to £3m into the health and fitness app The Body Coach, created by Joe Wicks, who shot to fame by getting people exercising in their living rooms during the Covid pandemic.It is the latest deal made through the group’s media for equity investment fund ITV AdVentures Invest. As part of the agreement, The Body Coach will advertise
  
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• Advertising by post: nobody wants this | Letters

  29-12-2025 18:44
  Daniel Owen would welcome the demise of postal marketing, while Marlene McAndrew asks why charities repeatedly send appeals to the same peopleI am prepared to accept the demise of letter writing discussed in your editorial (The Guardian view on sending letters: the writing’s on the wall, 22 December) if it also means the abolition of all forms of postal marketing.In an online age, the obscene environmental cost alone of printing and distributing large volumes of paper material, 99% of
  
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• Gambling firms spent nearly £5m to advertise on TfL since London mayor’s ban pledge

  29-12-2025 06:00
  Sadiq Khan’s office blames delay on lack of government guidance on links between gambling ads and harmGambling companies have spent nearly £5m to advertise on the London transport network since Sadiq Khan pledged to stop them from doing so, amid a prolonged impasse between the mayor’s office and the government.Khan said during his 2021 mayoral election campaign that he would order Transport for London (TfL) to extend a ban on junk food ads to cover online casinos and bookmakers
  
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• Match the celeb to the panto – and other puzzlers in our bumper Christmas culture quiz

  22-12-2025 07:00
  From corny adverts to snowy murder plots, test your knowledge with these seasonal questions• In the mood for more? For all our crosswords and sudoku, as well as our new football game, On the Ball, and film quiz, Film Reveal, download the Guardian app. Available in the Apple App Store and Google Play. Continue reading...
  
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• Christmas ads put on a diet as UK ban on TV junk food advertising bites

  20-12-2025 13:00
  Gone are shots of puddings and sweets as advertisers try to market other foods to stay within rules coming into force on 5 JanuaryThe festive season is traditionally a time of national culinary overindulgence but eagle-eyed viewers may have noticed that this year’s crop of big-budget Christmas TV ads have been decidedly lean and sugar-free.From Tesco and Waitrose to Marks & Spencer and Asda, the UK’s biggest exponents of extravagant festive food marketing have put their Christmas
  
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• Who had the trickiest job this year? The makers of joyful, uplifting Christmas ads | Zoe Williams

  15-12-2025 17:36
  How do you sell turkey and all the luxury trimmings when the world’s in chaos and the cost of living crisis continues? It’s no surprise that this year’s adverts are a complicated lotThere can’t be anyone skirting closer to burnout, more deserving of our sympathy and complicated respect, than the people who conceive Christmas ads. The goal is straightforward: make people feel good about Christmas so that they spend more than they otherwise might. Amp up the love and affect
  
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• ‘Ruined my Christmas spirit’: McDonald’s removes AI-generated ad after backlash

  11-12-2025 03:01
  Commercial in Netherlands depicting festival-season chaos at ‘most terrible time of year’ prompted flurry of criticism online McDonald’s says it has removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in the Netherlands after it was criticised online.The ad, titled “the most terrible time of the year”, depicts scenes of Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a gift-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow. And the message? Retreat to a McDonald’s
  
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• Channel 4 poaches new chief executive Priya Dogra from Sky

  10-12-2025 01:10
  Head of advertising and data at Sky will lead C4’s response to threatened Comcast takeover of ITVChannel 4 has raided Sky for its new chief executive as the broadcaster faces the prospect of a takeover of ITV by Comcast that would pose the biggest threat in its four-decade history.Its board is understood to have agreed the appointment of Priya Dogra, the head of Sky’s advertising, data and new revenue, as its new chief executive. Continue reading...
  
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• UK campaigners condemn ‘creepy’ digital billboards that can track viewers’ responses

  09-12-2025 08:00
  Tech company has installed the advertising screens in hundreds of apartment blocks across 20 British citiesDigital billboards capable of filming viewers’ responses to adverts have been installed in hundreds of apartment blocks, in a move that civil liberty campaigners called “creepy as hell”.The supplier, 30Seconds Group, says the cameras allow them to track “occupant engagement” from residents who are a “captive audience” as they wait for lifts to their
  
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• Elon Musk’s X fined €120m by EU in first clash under new digital laws

  05-12-2025 12:25
  Ruling likely to put European Commission on collision course with billionaire, and possibly Donald TrumpBusiness live – latest updatesElon Musk’s social media platform, X, has been fined €120m (£105m) after it was found in breach of new EU digital laws, in a ruling likely to put the European Commission on a collision course with the US billionaire and potentially Donald Trump.The breaches, under consideration for two years, included what the EU said was a “deceptive&
  
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• Advertising giant WPP relegated from FTSE 100 after nearly 30 years

  03-12-2025 19:20
  Market value of ad group that was once world’s largest plummets from about £24bn in 2017 to £3.1bnWPP has been relegated from the FTSE 100 after nearly 30 years, as the advertising multinational struggles to stem an exodus of clients and match the artificial intelligence and data capabilities of rivals.The market valuation of WPP, once the world’s largest advertising group, has plummeted from about £24bn in 2017 to £3.1bn. Continue reading...
  
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• Nike, Superdry and Lacoste ads banned in UK over ‘misleading’ green claims

  03-12-2025 01:01
  Advertising watchdog says all three firms misled shoppers by using term ‘sustainable’ in paid-for Google advertsAds for Nike, Superdry and Lacoste have been banned in the UK for misleading consumers about the environmental sustainability credentials of their products.The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said paid-for Google ads run by all three retailers used terms such as “sustainable”, “sustainable materials” or “sustainable style” without p
  
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• US senators call for investigation of scam ads on Facebook and Instagram

  24-11-2025 13:42
  Hawley and Blumenthal cite Reuters reporting that Meta estimated platforms were involved in third of all US scamsUS senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal have asked the heads of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate revenue from ads on Facebook and Instagram that promote scams and banned goods.“The FTC and SEC should immediately open investigations and, if the reporting is accurate, pursue vigorous enforcement action where
  
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• UK gambling firms spent ‘astronomic’ £2bn on advertising last year

  23-11-2025 07:00
  Calls for Rachel Reeves to increase taxes in budget as estimate outstrips duties collected from online casinosBritish gambling companies spent an “astronomic” £2bn on advertising and marketing last year, according to a new estimate that has intensified calls for the chancellor to increase taxes on the sector.Bookmakers, online casinos and slot machine companies spent the sum through a mixture of print and digital promotions, as well as affiliate programmes, where third parties
  
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• Ultra-processed food linked to harm in every major human organ, study finds

  19-11-2025 00:30
  World’s largest scientific review warns consumption of UPFs poses seismic threat to global health and wellbeingUltra-processed food (UPF) is linked to harm in every major organ system of the human body and poses a seismic threat to global health, according to the world’s largest review.UPF is also rapidly displacing fresh food in the diets of children and adults on every continent, and is associated with an increased risk of a dozen health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabet
  
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• WPP shares leap amid takeover bid speculation

  17-11-2025 12:09
  Advertising group declines to comment on reports of interest from rival Havas and private equity groups Apollo and KKRBusiness live – latest updatesShares in WPP have risen sharply amid speculation that the advertising group could be the subject of a takeover by a rival or a private equity buyer.Its French rival Havas, which was listed on Euronext in Amsterdam in December and is controlled by the billionaire Vincent Bolloré, has reportedly held internal talks about a potential bid a
  
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• ’Tis the season for dubious TV adverts | Letters

  14-11-2025 18:45
  Readers aren’t convinced by the wholesome family message peddled by John Lewis in its latest Christmas ad The issues you highlighted in your editorial are real, but please don’t think that advertisers care about them (The Guardian view on the John Lewis Christmas ad: a modern story of fathers and sons, 7 November).This ad is a shameless attempt to make consumers think they are doing something worthwhile in buying overpriced gifts in a failing store that used to share its profits with
  
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• Grub actually: Keira Knightley’s Christmas Waitrose ad is sweet and funny. The first time, anyway

  12-11-2025 11:28
  Their mini romcom is a classy move both for the star and the upmarket supermarket. But how many times will you be able to watch it before you start gagging? It has been a big couple of months for Keira Knightley. In October she starred (as a Guardian journalist, no less) in Netflix’s thriller The Woman in Cabin 10. Two weeks later she published her first children’s book. And now, to top it all off, she is making history in the only cultural medium that really matters any more: the mi
  
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• ‘I got paid £250 for one day of filming’: how to earn cash as a film or TV extra

  12-11-2025 08:00
  You don’t need acting experience and rarely have to say anything … but being flexible can result in a lucrative side hustleIf you have ever dreamed of seeing yourself on screen – or just want a fun way to earn additional cash – working as an extra (or “supporting artist”) can be a lucrative side hustle. Continue reading...
  
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• Facebook’s job ads algorithm is sexist, French equality watchdog rules

  05-11-2025 12:17
  Regulator found ads for mechanics skewed towards men while those for preschool teachers targeted womenThe French equalities regulator has declared that Facebook’s algorithm for placing job adverts is sexist, after an investigation found that adverts for mechanic roles skewed towards men while those for preschool teachers were targeted at women.The Défenseur des Droits watchdog said the Facebook system for targeted job ads treated users differently based on their sex, and constituted
  
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• A definitive list of what’s cool (and what’s not cool) | Letters

  04-11-2025 18:50
  Readers respond to an article by Elle Hunt and share their own definitions of coolnessWhat a lovely piece by Elle Hunt (Can I learn to be cool – even though I am garrulous, swotty and wear no-show socks?, 30 October). Coolness resides in those people who are whole in themselves, who do not stop to question whether they are cool, but simply do, love what they do, and are generally excellent at it. Authenticity is cool. Less is more is cool. By definition you, Elle, are cool (you write for t
  
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• Watch the 2025 John Lewis Christmas advert – video

  04-11-2025 08:28
  This year's Christmas advert from John Lewis has arrived, launching a new campaign called Where Love Lives, with the tagline: 'If you can’t find the words, find the gift.' The 90s dance act Alison Limerick provides the soundtrack with her hit Where Love Lives, and there is a newly reimagined version by the artist and producer Labrinth. The video takes viewers to Christmas Day in a family household with the focus on the dad, who is by the tree on his hands and knees clearing up discarded wr
  
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• John Lewis ad kickstarts Christmas countdown to the tune of 90s club classic

  04-11-2025 01:01
  Department store chain banks on nostalgia to get customers into festive mood with Where Love LivesJohn Lewis is hoping that a dash of nostalgia will get consumers into the festive mood this year as it officially kickstarts the countdown to Christmas with the launch of its 2025 advert to the tune of the 1990s club classic Where Love Lives.The department store chain is appealing to ageing clubbers – and their teenage kids – with this year’s ad focused on a middle-aged dad transpo
  
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• A doctor’s bracing advice to new mums | Brief letters

  30-10-2025 18:28
  Celebrities’ bodies | Rachel Reeves | Income tax | Dogs on sofasCoco Khan’s article (Opinion, 22 October) reminded me of a visit to my GP 30 years ago, after the birth of my son. While waiting to go in, I’d been perusing the usual array of magazines featuring celebrities, several of whom had recently given birth and had seemingly bounced back into shape overnight. When I saw the doctor, a wonderful gentleman edging towards retirement, and quizzed him on how on earth this was po
  
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• WPP jobs at risk as ad group’s new boss condemns ‘unacceptable’ performance

  30-10-2025 15:02
  Review launched after firm struggles to stem exodus of clients and compete with AI and data capabilities of rivalsJobs could be at risk at WPP as its new chief executive has launched a review designed to revive the advertising group’s fortunes after a fresh profit warning.Cindy Rose announced the review on Thursday, saying she was taking action to address “unacceptable” performance at the company, which has struggled to stem a growing exodus of clients and compete with the AI a
  
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