Why have there been so few Easter egg adverts this year?

It comes down to new regulations from the government that came into force at the beginning of the year.

This prohibits products high in fat, sugar and salt from appearing in TV ads before 9pm.

The UK advertising industry voluntarily chose to start adhering to the new rules from October, which means that items such as chocolate eggs and hot cross buns can’t be shown before 9pm.

Why are Easter egg adverts now prohibited from appearing before 9pm?

This legislation is in place to tackle rising childhood obesity

The current regulations are based on a nutrient profiling model that was created in the early noughties to assess whether a product is a “junk” food.

In 2018, an updated model was developed, but it was not introduced.

However, on Wednesday (March 25), the government has said that it is likely to adopt the newer model, which would see a far wider range of products deemed to be too high in fat, salt and sugar banned from next year.

This could include Kellogg’s Bran Flakes, Ambrosia rice pudding pots, the Mr Kipling Delicious and Light range and Doritos.

Has the new legislation impacted advertising revenues?

Research conducted for The Guardian found that TV advertising spending by confectionery and snacks brands almost halved year-on-year between October and February.

An analysis covering the vast majority of firms that advertise all the products that fall under the government’s “less healthy foods” regulations shows that overall TV ad spend is down at least 15% year-on-year.

Industry bodies and broadcasters have argued that the ban is more political PR than an effective policy.

A spokesperson for ISBA, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers, said: “The advertising and marketing of products is one consideration for helping tackle childhood obesity.

“But successive governments have treated bans or restrictions as a silver bullet … legislating on the basis of headlines, not evidence.”

However, health campaigners have said it doesn’t go far enough as brand advertising is allowed as long as adverts do not show an “identifiable” product that breaks the junk food rules.

Fran Bernhardt, of the campaign group Sustain, said: “The policy is riddled with loopholes which allow industry to continue to advertise branding for unhealthy products like Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Caramel or McDonald’s McFlurries.

“Aside from a few tweaks to adverts, this Easter will be much like Easters before.

“Industry will continue more or less as usual.”

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Campaigners also argue that big food companies are compensating for the ban, which also extends to paid online advertising at any time of the day, by upping marketing budgets on other media.

Media agency sources say that outdoor media, such as billboards and poster sites, and radio have benefited from the TV and online ban.

Billboards are only subject to junk food ad bans if they are located within 100 metres of premises such as schools or leisure centres.

Have you seen fewer adverts for Easter eggs this year? Let us know in the comments.