The commercial advertising sector has faced criticism over its part in the obesity crisis through the promotion of unhealthy food.

The initiative recognises the importance of the problem of childhood obesity and builds on previous moves by the industry to tackle the issue, such as voluntarily removing advertising of food and drink products high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) close to schools.

The campaign headed by Outsmart, a national body representing the OOH advertising media owners in the UK, states: “Many politicians blame the advertising industry and want to introduce blunt bans without thinking through if they will work or not.

“We believe childhood obesity is a complex problem and simplistic bans are not the answer. We are acutely aware of our responsibilities as a sector and want to play our part in the solution.”

To combat this view, ‘Get Smart Outside’ is making an offer to public authorities to donate up to £15m of space to “harness the power of advertising” in order to promote healthy lifestyle choices for kids and so reduce childhood obesity.

In addition to voluntarily donating advertising space to partner authorities, the sector is also exploring a wider package, including voluntary adoption of additional advertising guidelines on children’s food preferences, restrictions on multi-buy HFSS promotions, extending its existing “schools exclusion zone” with partner authorities, and promoting a healthy lifestyle tagline message on HFSS advertising.

Tim Lumb, director of Outsmart explains how the campaign is based on the company’s core belief that it is possible to harness the power of advertising to effect real behavioural change as a “force of good.”

In July 2017, Outsmart voluntarily removed the promotion of all HFSS food and drink products within 100m of all schools

Lumb says: “We aim to go around the country speaking with local authorities and working in collaboration with them to publicise evidence-based solutions that will reduce childhood obesity, promote a healthy and active lifestyle and effect real behavioural change in kids. Importantly, this will have no cost to already hard-pressed local authorities.”

Research by PwC has estimated that between 2007 and 2017, the OOH sector contributed a total of £710m to investment in public infrastructure such as bus shelters, live digital bus timetables, public Wi-Fi and improvements to the local environment.

Outsmart argues that any media restrictions imposed by public authorities that reduces the revenues of the sector will inevitably reduce the amount of funding available to local authorities to invest in their areas.

The ‘Get Smart Outside’ campaign aims to address this with a positive, collaborative solution.

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