HFSS: The Creative Challenge Reshaping Food & Drink Marketing

If you work in food and drink marketing, chances are the acronym HFSS has become part of your daily vocabulary over the last couple of years.

And if not? Here's the quick version: HFSS regulations (which stands for foods high in fat, salt and sugar) are changing the way brands advertise, communicate and create content across digital channels in the UK.

For food and drink brands, it's been a pretty significant shift. For places like The Mind Collective? It's meant rethinking creative from the ground up.

We've spent the last year adapting recipe content, social creative and campaign strategies across our brands to ensure they remain engaging, effective and compliant without losing personality along the way.

Because let's be honest: nobody wants compliant content that feels clinical.

So, what's actually changed?

The regulations are designed to reduce exposure to less healthy food and drink products, particularly for children. That means tighter rules around paid advertising, promotional messaging and how HFSS products can appear online.

For brands, it's created a balancing act: How do you continue to market products creatively while staying within increasingly complex guidelines?

And perhaps more importantly: How do you make food content still feel craveable when you suddenly have to think about wording, product placement and audience targeting in much more detail?

Some major brands have already had to rethink their approach publicly. Kellogg's famously challenged the UK government's HFSS regulations after restrictions impacted the visibility and promotion of some of its cereals, while brands like PepsiCo have shifted more focus towards portion-controlled products and lower-sugar ranges.

But beyond the legal conversations and headlines, the reality is that HFSS has fundamentally changed the creative process itself.

Spoiler alert: it's possible to create brilliant compliant content. It just requires a more strategic approach.

Recipe content has had to evolve

Recipe content has always been one of the strongest tools in food marketing. It's shareable, saveable and genuinely useful for audiences. But HFSS regulations have changed how many brands approach recipe development and social execution.

We've seen a noticeable move towards:

·       More balanced meal inspiration

·       Greater emphasis on portioning and pairings

·       Ingredient swaps and lighter alternatives

·       Lifestyle-led storytelling over overt product selling

You can already see this shift happening across social feeds. Brands are leaning less into "stacked indulgence" visuals and more into everyday usage moments, quick meal solutions and creator-led recipes that feel authentic rather than overly promotional.

And honestly? We think the work is better for it.

The challenge has pushed brands to become more inventive with storytelling and more thoughtful about audience value.

Brands getting clever with HFSS

While HFSS has undoubtedly created challenges, it's also sparked some incredibly smart creative thinking.

Rather than focusing purely on product promotion, many brands have shifted towards brand-led storytelling, entertainment and cultural relevance. McDonald's, for example, has increasingly leaned into campaigns centred around moments and behaviours rather than simply showcasing products. Meanwhile, KFC has become known for its humour-led social presence, creating content that keeps the brand culturally relevant without relying on traditional product-first advertising.

Others have taken a different route. Brands like PepsiCo and Cadbury have invested heavily in reformulation, portion-controlled products and alternative ranges to navigate the changing landscape.

What's interesting is that there isn't one clear blueprint for success. Some brands are adapting the products themselves. Others are adapting the content. Many are doing both.

The result is a food and drink industry that's arguably becoming more creative, not less.

How we adapted recipe content

One of the biggest changes for us has been rethinking how recipe content is structured across social.

Historically, food content has often been very product-led – hero shots, indulgent close-ups and messaging designed to drive immediate temptation. But with HFSS regulations shaping how products can be promoted online, we've had to approach recipe creative more strategically.

Rather than centring content entirely around the product itself, we've shifted towards more lifestyle-led storytelling and audience-first formats.

That's meant:

·       Creating recipes that feel balanced and realistic for everyday life

·       Focusing on meal occasions and usage moments rather than "hard sell" product pushes

·       Using creator-style filming and native social trends to make content feel more organic

·       Integrating products naturally into recipes rather than positioning them as the sole focus

A great example of this has been the approach we've taken across the @hpsauceuk feed. Rather than relying on overtly product-led creative, we've focused on recipe content that feels entertaining, culturally relevant and native to social platforms, integrating the product naturally into everyday meal moments rather than making it the star of every piece of content.

The shift has been less about "selling" and more about storytelling.

We've also adapted visual styling and copywriting across social assets, softening overly promotional language and ensuring content feels informative, entertaining or genuinely useful first.

Interestingly, these changes haven't negatively impacted engagement. In many cases, the opposite has happened.

Audiences are responding well to content that feels more authentic, less polished and more aligned with how people actually consume food content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.

And creatively, it's pushed us to think beyond the obvious.

Some of our favourite recent work has come from finding smarter ways to communicate flavour, enjoyment and brand personality without relying on traditional "indulgence-first" food marketing.

Because ultimately, compliant content doesn't have to feel restricted — it just has to feel intentional.

Social creative now has to work harder

One of the biggest shifts has been in social-first creative.

Historically, food content often relied on indulgence-led visuals and direct product pushes. Now, every asset needs a bit more consideration:

·       What's the context?

·       Who's the audience?

·       Is the messaging compliant?

·       Does the content feel informative rather than promotional?

A few years ago, brands like KFC and Kellogg's were already facing scrutiny around HFSS advertising placements and child-targeted creative, long before the latest regulations fully came into force. Since then, the industry has become far more aware of how creative decisions (from media placement to visual styling) can impact compliance.

That doesn't mean social has become boring... far from it.

In fact, some of the strongest-performing content we've created recently has leaned into:

·       Entertaining recipe formats

·       Creator-style storytelling

·       Educational food content

·       Behind-the-scenes production moments

·       Trend-led editing and humour

The key is making content feel native, useful and culturally relevant first, with the product naturally integrated into the experience.

Audiences can tell when content has been over-engineered. The sweet spot is finding ways to stay compliant without losing authenticity.

The debate around HFSS

Of course, not everyone agrees on HFSS.

Supporters argue that the regulations are an important step towards reducing childhood obesity and limiting exposure to less healthy food advertising. Critics, however, argue that the picture is far more nuanced.

Some marketers believe the restrictions risk pushing brands towards less transparent forms of marketing, while others argue that advertising alone isn't the root cause of poor dietary habits. There are also ongoing discussions around whether product reformulation, portion control and consumer education could have a greater impact than advertising restrictions alone.

Whatever your viewpoint, one thing is certain: HFSS has become one of the biggest drivers of change in food and drink marketing over the past few years.

And for agencies and brands alike, it's forcing us all to think more carefully about the role content plays in influencing consumer behaviour.

Creativity within constraints

There's a misconception that regulation kills creativity. We'd argue the opposite.

Some of the best creative ideas happen when there are parameters to work within. HFSS has challenged agencies and brands to think differently about how food content is developed, styled and distributed.

It's encouraged sharper strategy, more intentional storytelling and content that earns attention rather than simply demanding it.

Of course, the regulations are still evolving and there's ongoing conversation across the industry about what best practice looks like long term. But one thing is clear: adaptability is now an essential part of modern food and drink marketing.

If there's one major takeaway from navigating HFSS so far, it's this:

Compliance and creativity don't have to compete.

When approached strategically, compliant content can still feel exciting, trend-driven and commercially effective. It just requires brands to move away from "hard sell" marketing and focus more on audience connection.

And ultimately, that's probably a positive shift for everyone.

Luckily, we love a creative challenge.