ADVERTISING · RESTRICTED CATEGORIES
Advertise CBD and alcohol without fighting the rules
Regulated products can be advertised, within limits. We know where the limits are, check them before every campaign and plan around them.
The rules come first, then the campaign
CBD and alcohol brands face a double set of rules. The CAP Code, applied by the Advertising Standards Authority, sets what UK advertising may say and to whom. On top of that, each advertising platform has its own policy, which may be stricter than the law, may require certification and may change with little notice.
Many agencies avoid these categories, or run campaigns until accounts are suspended. We work the other way round. Before any campaign we check the current position for each platform, review every claim and creative, and plan channels that are realistic for your product. Where something cannot be advertised, we say so plainly.
That discipline protects your accounts and your reputation, and it means budget goes into campaigns that can actually run.
What’s included
Policy check before every campaign
A review of each platform’s current policy for your product and market, documented and repeated whenever a campaign launches or policies change.
Claim and creative review
Copy and visuals checked against the CAP Code, including the rules for alcohol and the restrictions on health or medicinal claims.
Age and audience controls
For alcohol, targeting and placement settings designed to keep ads away from under-18s, plus age-gated landing pages where needed.
Channel planning
A realistic mix of channels that accept your category, such as search where permitted, programmatic, native, publishers and your own content.
Landing page review
Your website checked for content that could breach rules or lead to ad disapprovals, with clear recommendations.
Account protection
Careful account set-up, certification applications where a platform offers them, and documented responses to disapprovals.
AI AT WORK
Where AI does the work
AI DOES
- Screens draft copy for health claims, risky phrases and wording that commonly triggers disapprovals
- Monitors campaigns daily for disapprovals and policy notices so nothing goes unnoticed
- Tracks published updates to advertising policies and flags changes for a specialist to assess
YOUR SPECIALIST DECIDES
- A specialist reads the current platform policies and decides what each campaign may run
- Every ad and landing page is approved by a person against the CAP Code before launch
- Grey areas are referred to you, and where appropriate we recommend specialist legal advice
How we work
- 01Product and market reviewWe look at your products, claims, target audience and markets, and agree the mandate.
- 02Policy and claims checkWe check each platform’s current policy, review creative and landing pages, and document what is allowed.
- 03Build and launchWe set up compliant campaigns on the permitted channels, with age and audience controls in place.
- 04Monitor and adjustDaily checks for disapprovals and policy changes, and a monthly statement covering results and compliance.
HOW WE MEASURE
How we measure it
We measure commercial results alongside compliance, because a campaign that is suspended returns nothing.
- Cost per sale or qualified lead by channel
- Ad approval rate and disapprovals resolved
- Account health and policy notices
- Share of spend on placements meeting audience rules
Is this right for you?
- You sell CBD products or alcoholic drinks to adults in the UK
- You have had ads rejected or accounts restricted and want a careful approach
- You want to grow while staying within the CAP Code and platform rules
- You are prepared to remove claims or creative that cannot be supported
An indication, not a quote.
Questions we are asked
Can CBD products be advertised online in the UK?
Some can, on some channels, with restrictions. CBD advertising must not make medicinal claims unless the product is licensed as a medicine, and must follow the CAP Code. Each platform has its own policy, which may limit or prohibit CBD ads, and those policies change. We check the current position for your product before every campaign and plan around what is permitted.
What rules apply to alcohol advertising?
The CAP Code has a dedicated section on alcohol. Among other things, ads must not be directed at under-18s or be likely to appeal particularly to them, and must not suggest that drinking brings social, sexual or professional success. Platforms add their own rules on targeting and markets. We apply age controls, review every creative and check platform policies before launch.
Why do platform policies matter as much as the law?
Because a platform can reject ads or restrict an account even when the ad would be lawful. Google, Meta and other platforms set their own rules for regulated products, sometimes requiring certification, limiting countries or banning formats. These policies are updated regularly. We check them before every campaign so your budget goes to ads that can actually run.