United Kingdom: Advertising, Marketing & Branding

The Advertising Standards Authority has ruled against EE Ltd for failing to substantiate comparative claims about their broadband service. The telecommunications company must now ensure all comparative advertising claims can be properly verified with supporting evidence.

Recent ASA rulings on McDonald's McDelivery and Domino's Pizza advertisements provide crucial clarity on when food and drink adverts identify specific "less healthy" products versus promoting brands generally. The decisions reveal how precise product naming and incidental references can determine whether adverts comply with the pre-watershed ban on HFSS advertising, though proposed parliamentary changes may soon redraw these carefully established boundaries.

New ASA rulings clarify when food advertising crosses the line from brand promotion to product-specific marketing under the UK's less healthy food restrictions. Two recent decisions involving McDonald's and Domino's reveal how naming specific menu items can determine whether an advert violates the pre-watershed ban, while a parliamentary committee now questions whether these distinctions should exist at all.

The UK government is introducing the Sporting Events Bill to create a unified legislative framework for hosting major international sporting events. This new approach aims to streamline the approval process, enhance legal protections for commercial partners, and make UK bids more competitive for prestigious tournaments like EURO 2028, the World Athletics Championships, and FIFA Women's World Cup.

Marks & Spencer made history by hosting the first-ever fashion show in the F1 pit lane at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix weekend, showcasing their new "Dress to Thrill" collection to over 564,000 attendees. The event marks a strategic multi-year partnership between the iconic British retailer and the racing circuit, positioning M&S at the intersection of fashion and motorsport. With F1's global fanbase exceeding 831 million and fashion brands increasingly embracing motorsport collaborations, this

CAP and BCAP have published new guidance on how the advertising codes apply when advertisers use accessibility features such as audio description, closed captions and signing. The message is simple but important: if an ad contains material information, that information must not be lost to consumers who rely on those features.

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has built one of sport's most valuable brands through strategic trademark protection spanning nearly 150 years. From its iconic purple and green color combination to carefully curated partnerships with brands like Rolex and Slazenger, Wimbledon demonstrates how intellectual property rights can safeguard prestige while enabling selective commercial opportunities.

Patagonia's trademark infringement lawsuit against drag queen climate activist Pattie Gonia has sparked debate about the balance between protecting intellectual property rights and managing public relations fallout. The outdoor clothing company's legal action, following Pattie Gonia's trademark application for her name on clothing goods, raises questions about when brand enforcement becomes counterproductive and whether earlier intervention could have prevented the controversy.

The Advertising Standards Authority has published new consumer research examining when material information should be included in paid online advertising versus landing pages.