When we launched our #CommercialBreak campaign to give kids a break from junk food ads, we expected pushback from Big Food. What shocked many was the decision by two of the UK’s largest outdoor media owners — JCDecaux and Global — to pull the campaign, despite it being fully compliant with advertising standards and previously approved.

Yet while our billboards are effectively banned, support has poured in — from public-health experts and councils to charities, business leaders and metro mayors — all calling out the censorship and demanding stronger regulation to ensure children’s health is put first.

Nikita Sinclair, Head of the Children’s Health and Food Programme, Impact on Urban Health, has urged the government to honour its promised junk-food advertising ban “and ensure industry lobbying does not derail the bold, decisive action needed to safeguard the health of the next generation.”

She said:

“We were incredibly proud to support the young activists of Bite Back in highlighting how junk food advertising affects their lives and health. Seeing this message effectively silenced is a stark reminder of the powerful forces we’re up against when it comes to protecting children’s health.”

In April, we launched our bold #CommercialBreak campaign, taking over ad space across South London with a powerful youth-led message: “Young Activists Bought This Ad Space So Junk Food Giants Couldn’t. We’re giving kids a #CommercialBreak".

The aim? To reclaim the streets from the constant bombardment of junk food marketing targeting young people.

The campaign quickly gained traction, culminating in a win at the prestigious Sheila McKechnie Awards for Best Consumer Campaign. But just days after the accolade, the UK’s biggest outdoor advertising companies pulled the plug.

Together, Global and JCDecaux are estimated to control around 70% of the country’s digital outdoor ad impressions, making their decisions hugely influential over what the public sees. The decision has triggered a wave of criticism from across the public health and policy sector.

“Children and young people have the right to live, play, and learn in places free of the food industry’s advertisements pushing their unhealthy products,” said Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health at City of York Council, speaking on behalf of the Yorkshire and Humber Association of Directors of Public Health.

“Evidence shows that these adverts particularly target children living in disadvantaged areas, where food-related ill-health is already more common. It is important that young people have a say in decisions that shape their lives, and it is unjust that their views have been ignored in this instance. As local Directors of Public Health in the region, we support Bite Back in their work to raise awareness of the saturation of our public spaces with these advertisements,” he explained.

Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), also spoke out:

“Not only is there strong adult public support for tighter restrictions, but youth-led organisations like Bite Back are highlighting – very eloquently and powerfully — just how important this issue is to young people themselves.”

Together, these leaders — local and national — are sending a clear message: youth-led public health campaigns must not be censored. The evidence is on their side, the support is growing, and the calls for government intervention are becoming impossible to ignore.

Academia, charities, and business add weight

Professor Mark Green, lead author of our research in partnership with the University of Liverpool, which found that 57% of food and drink ads in major cities were for products high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) – called the takedown “a clear sign that change is urgently needed.”

“It is disappointing for advertising companies, likely afraid of upsetting clients, to act on the side of big business. Why would they be afraid of what is a perfectly reasonable message from Bite Back and youth activists? If the industry can’t handle young voices calling for fairness and responsibility, it’s a clear sign that change is urgently needed,” said Professor Green.

Katharine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, noted that national HFSS ad restrictions will start in 2026: “Advertisers say they want to be part of the solution — silencing Bite Back suggests otherwise.”

Meanwhile, Sonia Pombo, Head of Impact & Research at Action on Salt, went further: “When McDonald’s and Coca-Cola dominate billboards but young people are censored, it tells you everything about the imbalance of power.”

From the business community, Alex Wright, CEO of DASH Water, praised the campaign’s award-winning impact and called on media platforms to “put youth wellbeing before corporate profits.”

Local political backing grows

“It’s completely wrong that big junk food companies are free to flood our streets with ads, while young campaigners trying to make a positive difference are being silenced. This isn’t about politics — it’s about fairness, and about giving kids a fighting chance to grow up in an environment that supports them to live happy, healthy lives.” Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said.

Rotheram’s statement follows recent council policies in Bedford, Enfield, St. Helens and Kingston that restrict junk-food ads on local estates – proof, he says, that “this isn’t about politics, it’s about fairness.”

Media interest — and industry silence

Since the takedown, the story has appeared in Campaign, The Grocer and Third Sector. Multiple national outlets pursued comments from JCDecaux and Global; neither company responded. Their silence, supporters argue, underscores an unwillingness to engage with legitimate public-health concerns raised by young people.

What’s next?

Bite Back will continue to press for:

1. Implementation of the delayed online and TV junk-food ad ban, without loopholes.
2. Extension of those restrictions to outdoor advertising, so young people aren’t overwhelmed the moment they step outside.
3. Transparent advertising policies from media owners — no more behind-closed-doors vetoes of youth-led campaigns.

As Farid, Bite Back activist, says:

“We operate on a tiny fraction of junk-food giants’ budgets, yet our message hit a nerve. If industry has to silence us, it shows we’re on the right track.”

Thank you to every organisation and individual standing with young people to protect child health.

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