Poster and other out of home

It goes without saying ads on posters and billboards and in other outdoor public spaces, should not mislead, harm or offend. But the targeting and placement of these kinds of ads are also particularly important.

The way in which ads are targeted can have a significant bearing on their acceptability under the ad rules. Targeting is especially important when considering matters of taste and decency because the likelihood of an ad causing offence is inextricably linked to the attitudes of the people who see it.

For example fashion ads featuring semi-nude models may be acceptable in women’s glossy magazines but they wouldn’t be appropriate on posters or billboards in public spaces where they could be viewed by children.

Advertisers should also be mindful that the unsuitable targeting of ads for certain products automatically breaks the ad rules. For example, no medium with more than 25% of its audience under 18 years of age should be used to advertise an alcoholic drink.

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Latest rulings

EE Ltd t/a EE
- Upheld
- Social media (paid ad), Television, Radio
- 26 March 2025
A TV, radio, paid-for social media and digital poster ad for EE made unsubstantiated claims about the performance and capabilities of a Wi-Fi router.
Tesco Stores Ltd t/a Tesco
- Not upheld
- 12 February 2025
An outdoor digital poster comparing the Tesco Clubcard and Sainsbury’s Nectar loyalty card schemes wasn’t misleading.
Wahed Invest Ltd
- Upheld
- Poster
- 08 January 2025
Six posters which appeared on the TfL network caused serious offence by featuring images of burning US dollar and Euro banknotes.
Lloyds Bank plc
- Upheld in part
- Poster, Social media (paid ad)
- 18 December 2024
A paid-for LinkedIn post for Lloyds Bank was misleading as it omitted significant information about the company’s environmental impact.

View all rulings

Poster and other out of home

It goes without saying ads on posters and billboards and in other outdoor public spaces, should not mislead, harm or offend. But the targeting and placement of these kinds of ads are also particularly important.

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