As the festive season approaches, we’re here with your annual dose of Christmas advertising advice. From festive creative to compliance pitfalls, these are our top reminders to help you get your Christmas ads cleared for TV and beyond, stay compliant and breeze through the ad clearance process like a sleigh on fresh snow.
Last year the big man himself stepped in to help present our top 10 tips, which we’ve now refreshed and updated ready for Christmas 2026. So, grab a hot chocolate, or an eggnog, and dive into the merry magic of ad compliance.
1. Santa
If your ad suggests that Father Christmas is a myth or doesn’t exist (scandalous!), it would be likely to receive an ‘ex kids’ restriction to keep it away from very young viewers. Let’s not ruin the magic.
2. Snowballs
Snow, ho, ho. Be careful with snowball fights. Any thrown to the face are also likely to get an ‘ex kids’ restriction to keep it away from children’s programming – especially if the recipient isn’t ‘in’ on the game.
3. Fireplaces
Safety first. Any hearths showing decorations hanging over lit fires may be unacceptable. If in doubt, send over a sketch or example image for review.
4. Alcohol advertising
Cheers! Alcohol advertising is never in short supply at Christmas. But the rules can be complex, so make sure you’re well versed with section 19 of the BCAP code. Two things to remember – don’t feature any under 25s (in age / looks), or any tipsy behaviour.
5. Less Healthy Food (LHF) advertising
‘Tis the season for tasty ads! But make sure your festive spreads are compliant with the latest LHF (“Less Healthy Food and Drink”) rules.
For up to date LHF guidance, download LHF: A year on – our latest LHF briefing video.
6. Product availability
Make sure what’s on screen, is in store. It can be confusing when there’s a mix of purchasable items and others made specifically for your ad. So, avoid featuring a product prominently that isn’t available for purchase.
7. Christmas carols
Fa la la la. Although religious carols can be featured, take care to consider whether they’re right for your product or creative approach. They may cause offence in some instances, for example, when featured alongside violence, gambling or alcohol – it’s best to check with Clearcast first.
8. Toy advertising
There are more toys in Christmas ads than in Santa’s sleigh – but if one costs £30 or more, you must state that in the ad. Are batteries included? Is it really that big? Does it really move and sound like that? Make sure you show what the toy can actually do. We don’t want any disappointed kids on Christmas morning.
9. Consumer credit
Be mindful with ads featuring consumer credit, especially those which imply that taking out credit is appropriate for frivolous purchases like shopping or presents. This is likely to be deemed socially irresponsible.
10. Advertising beyond TV
Get your whole campaign right this Christmas – beyond just linear TV and VOD. For non-broadcast ads across other platforms like social, streaming, out of home and more, sense check your ad with our super-fast and efficient AI tool iClear. Or, opt for allClear, our thorough (human!) review service for non-broadcast ads.
So there you have it! Our top 10 tips for getting your Christmas ads cleared and ready for your 2026 campaigns. Ideally, get your ads to us as soon as possible so we can iron out any issues early on. However, Fast Track is here if that doesn’t happen – for clearance feedback in just 24, or 2 hours. Then, keep things speedy with Clearcast Delivery.
Get extra reach this Christmas by making your ad accessible to more people with Subtitles and Audio Description.
Too busy? We’ll handle all of this for you.
And get in touch if you’re unsure about anything.
Originally published September 2025. Updated October 2026.
