Billboard campaign bites back against junk food advertising

Billboards have been pasted up across South London by campaigners hitting back against junk food advertising.

New research conducted by Bite Back, the University of Liverpool and Impact on Urban Health, has uncovered the widespread presence of junk food advertising in the UK’s most deprived communities. 

Research shows how major fast food and soft drink companies are saturating communities with unhealthy food ads, reinforcing health inequalities and driving diet-related diseases.

The study, which analysed outdoor advertising across Southwark, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle-upon-Tyne, found that one in four outdoor adverts were promoting high-fat, high-sugar or high-salt (HFSS) products. 

Despite the most deprived areas making up a small portion of the population, they were home to 44 per cent of all HFSS ads captured in the study. 

In contrast, just four per cent of HFSS ads were found in the least deprived areas.

In response to these figures, youth activists from campaign group Bite Back have secured billboards across London, to block junk food adverts. 

They have placed 365 billboards in high-traffic areas across Lambeth and Southwark, including London Bridge Station.

The billboards read: “We’ve bought this ad space so the junk food giants couldn’t – we’re giving kids a commercial break.”

Bite Back and Impact on Urban Health are urging the government to adopt urgent reforms to protect young people from the flood of unhealthy food marketing. 

Demands include following the lead of local authorities with healthier food advertising policies and limiting forms of marketing that promote unhealthy products.

Nicki Whiteman, interim chief executive officer of Bite Back said: “Our young activists operate on a tiny fraction of what Big Food has to spend on onstreet advertising but they are making a powerful point with this bold campaign to take on the might of the global companies. 

“The changes we’re calling for are crucial for holding junk food companies accountable for the impact their marketing has on children’s health and shifting the balance of power from industry interests to policies that genuinely prioritise public health.”

Pictured top: Bite Back’s ‘commercial break’ billboard outside London Bridge station (Picture: David Madden Photography)