The Australian Association of National Advertisers (AANA), the leading marketing industry body in Australia, has urged the South Australian Government to reconsider its sweeping ban on food and drink advertising on government assets, set to take effect from 1 July 2025.
If the ban goes ahead, the AANA is calling on the South Australian Government to adopt a science-based approach, such as the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) nutrient profiling scoring criteria, to determine which foods should be restricted.
The current approach lacks scientific backing and could lead to serious unintended consequences for South Australian businesses and a significant loss of advertising revenue for the state’s public transport network.
AANA CEO Josh Faulks highlighted the need for a clearer and more practical approach. “As it stands, this policy bans all processed meats, which means a simple ham salad sandwich can’t be advertised.” Faulks said.
“This simply doesn’t make sense, and the government should be making evidence-based decisions, not blanket bans that don’t align with nutritional science.”
Similarly, soy milk that has been fortified with calcium and is a core food in the Dietary Guidelines is considered in this policy to be a sugar-sweetened beverage and cannot be advertised. Jam can be advertised, but rice cakes are banned.
“We fully support measures that encourage healthy eating, but this policy fails to distinguish between everyday foods and discretionary items, creating confusion and unfairly restricting brands that are doing the right thing from communicating with consumers,” Faulks added.
The AANA has also raised concerns about the number of businesses covered by the ban. “The policy bans all advertising showing those banned food or drink items. For example, an ad celebrating the anniversary of a children’s charity which depicts a child with a birthday cake would be banned. The Tasting Australia event can no longer show images of charcuterie boards or pastries in their advertising. Under this policy, businesses that have nothing to do with the food or beverage industry will find advertising in South Australia harder,” Faulks said.
The AANA also pointed to proactive steps the advertising industry is taking to encourage healthy eating. The outdoor advertising industry has donated more than $41 million in advertising value to support an industry-led national health campaign over the past five years. South Australia was invited to participate in this year’s campaign.
The AANA is calling on the South Australian Government to reconsider its approach and focus on evidence-based policies that support both public health and economic sustainability.
