Sexual wellness brand Lovehoney has launched a “tongue-in-cheek” ad campaign in response to the UK government’s upcoming restrictions on junk food advertising.

The new regulations classify favourites such as porridge and crumpets, as well as ready meals which contain high levels of salt, fat or sugar, as junk food and ban any TV advertisements before 9 pm. Online ads will be banned too. The changes will come into effect from October 2025.

Lovehoney responded to the regulations by welcoming the affected brands to the “watershed club” in a new campaign.

The campaign was devised by creative agency Leith with The Kite Factory handling media buying.

Leith partner Brian Coane said: “We had a lot of fun creating the new ads for Lovehoney in response to the junk food legislation. The approach of welcoming these unlikely new members to the ‘watershed club’ celebrates Lovehoney’s playful yet affectionate manner, embodying the brand’s tone of voice.”

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One billboard from the campaign reads: “Dear Warburtons, we know a thing or two about restraints.” Meanwhile, a second creative is aimed at porridge brand Quaker Oats, letting it know that “it can be fun when your hands are tied”.

These adverts come in the wake of the sexual wellness brand’s ‘Not a Sex Toy’ billboard campaign which called out censorship.

Lovehoney global PR lead Nadia McCowan Hill said: “We know all about being consigned to post-watershed TV spots for somewhat debatable reasons. Sexual wellness is a vital part of overall health, yet we are frequently censored, hindering our ability to educate and inform the public on sexual wellbeing.

“We recognise the restrictions faced by porridge providers and crumpet creators, and wanted to extend a hand to them, especially given our expertise in restraints and hand-tying!”