If a brand pays you, gives you something for free or pays you commission through a link, any related post you make is an ad. So is a post promoting your own business or one run by your family or friends. UK rules say it must be labelled clearly as one, with a label such as “Ad” or “#ad” at the very start, before people watch or read the rest. You, the brand and any agency involved share responsibility for getting this right. The rules are the same for Christian creators, ministries and faith brands as for anyone else.
Where the rules come from
The CAP Code is the UK’s code for non-broadcast advertising, and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces it. Rule 2.1 says: “Marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such.”
Consumer protection law also bans hiding the commercial intent behind a post. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and Trading Standards enforce that side.
The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), which writes the code, and the CMA publish a joint influencers’ guide to making clear that ads are ads. The current edition dates from March 2023. It is written from the creator’s side, and the ASA says it is also useful for brands and agencies. The ASA notes that the guide will be updated now the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has replaced the old consumer protection regulations, and that the advice remains broadly correct.
What counts as an ad
The guide treats any incentive from a brand as payment. That includes:
- money for a post
- free products, services, trips, hotel stays, event invites or loans, whether you asked for them or not
- being a brand ambassador, shareholder or director
- an exclusive discount or a commission
- affiliate links or discount codes that earn you money from clicks or sales
It still counts if you were under no obligation to post. Promoting a business, event or concert that you, your family or your friends run also needs to be disclosed.
For Christian creators, that covers more than brand deals. A free conference ticket, a gifted Bible or devotional, a commission on worship gear or a post promoting your own concert can each make a post an ad.
There is one case where a label may not be needed. The guide says that when content is posted on the brand’s own channels, it is often already clear that it is advertising. A church promoting its own conference on the church’s official page may be in that position. A creator promoting their own merchandise on a personal account still needs to make it clear upfront.
Which labels to use
The guide says labels should call the content what it is, in words people understand. Its examples are:
- #Ad
- #Advert
- #Advertising
- #Advertisement
- #AdvertisementFeature
You don’t need the “#” if the label is prominent and clearly separate from other text.
It advises against labels people may not understand, including “Sponsored”, “Spon”, “Gifted”, “Collab”, “In partnership with”, “Thanks to [brand]”, “PR” and “Aff”. It also advises against relying on tagging the brand.
Platform tools such as Instagram’s “Paid partnership” label may be enough if the label is upfront, clear and prominent. If it is hard to see, add your own “Ad” label as well.
Where the label goes
The label has to be seen before anything else. The guide says that might mean the start of the post text, the title or thumbnail, or on the image itself, whichever people see first.
The guide gives examples of what doesn’t work:
- hiding the label in a long list of hashtags
- putting it where viewers have to tap “more” on a TikTok to see it
- saying part-way through a YouTube video that it is an ad
If a paid post runs across several Stories, label each one. If the same content goes out as a Reel, a post and a Story, each version needs its own label.
Who is responsible
The guide says the creator, the brand and any agents involved in making or publishing the content are all responsible for making it clear. The ASA can act when a brand has paid a creator in some way and had some control over the content, including final approval.
The guide also says disclosure should continue through the relationship and in relevant content for 12 months after it ends.
The ASA has sanctions for creators who won’t disclose. They include naming the creator on a non-compliant influencers page for up to three months, and running ads that tell the creator’s followers they have repeatedly failed to disclose. Platforms can also remove content or close accounts, and the CMA or Trading Standards can take formal enforcement action.
Planning disclosure into a shoot
The easiest time to get disclosure right is before filming. Put these points in the brief:
- Who approves the script and edit. The guide says a brand’s right to approve or change content before it goes out could count as control. Agree who signs off, and when.
- Where the label sits in the video. Agree on-screen “Ad” text in the opening seconds.
- The caption and title. Write “Ad” at the very start of each caption, and in YouTube titles or thumbnails where needed.
- Every cut-down. If one shoot produces a long video and several vertical clips, each clip needs its own label. Our guide to video sizes and lengths covers the formats.
- Platform tools. Decide who turns on any paid partnership label when posting.
The same planning applies to sponsored podcast episodes. Our post on starting a video podcast for your church or ministry covers podcast production. If your content uses fonts or templates, check those licences cover commercial use too. Our post on fonts and template licences explains what to look for.
Working with Aligned Vision
Our help centre says we work with brands, startups, hospitality businesses and independent artists. That includes product showcase videos, brand storytelling and promotional content. Our content creation page lists reels packs of 5 or 10 vertical reels with captions.
If you’re planning paid content, send your disclosure plan with the brief, so the label can be planned into the edit and the captions. Contact us to start.
This post summarises published guidance. It isn’t legal advice. For a specific ad, CAP’s Copy Advice team can help.
