Many parents now pick a pushchair after watching a creator unbox, test or rave about one. Under UK guidance, a pram post that follows a gift, a discount code, a commission or any other incentive is an advert and has to look like one. This guide summarises the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidance for content creators, published on GOV.UK, and advice from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), whose rules the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) enforces. It applies across the United Kingdom. It is general information, not legal advice. For reviews on shop websites, see the guide to fake and incentivised pram reviews.
When a pram post counts as an ad
The CMA says that if a creator has been incentivised in any way to promote a product, the content must be clearly identifiable as an ad and reflect genuine experience. The guidance covers photos, carousels, videos, reels, stories, podcasts and other posts. It lists sponsorships, giveaways, affiliated links, discount codes, own-brand promotions, reviews, and content about gifts received “for free”.
The CMA defines payment widely: money, commissions, discounts, leases or loans free of charge or on better terms than the public gets, and gifts of any products. The guidance covers informal or verbal arrangements, including products sent without asking for anything back, and applies “no matter how many followers” a creator has.
Which labels the CMA accepts
The CMA says a label must be clear, prominent and easy to understand. Labels it gives as examples are “ad”, “advert”, “advertising” and “advertisement”. Platform tools such as “paid partnership” may be used if they convey clearly that the content is an ad; if not, #Ad should be added upfront. Simply tagging a brand, using a discount code or including an affiliate link is not enough.
Terms the guidance says to avoid include #gift, #gifted, #aff, #affiliate, #collab, #spon, #sponsored, “in association with”, “thank you” and just naming the brand. The label should not be buried among hashtags or poorly contrasted, and the audience should not have to tap a link or visit a bio to find it.
Timing: the first interaction
According to the CMA, an ad must be obvious as soon as anyone engages with it. For podcasts and videos the disclosure must be given at the beginning. In carousels or sequences where followers can open individual posts, each item containing promotional messaging has to be labelled. A creator should not rely on a bio or earlier posts to reveal a relationship with a brand.
Misleading impressions
The CMA says hidden ads are illegal and harmful because they can persuade people to buy things they might not otherwise buy if they knew the content was not an unbiased opinion. A post may mislead if it suggests the creator bought something that was in fact a gift or loan, has used a product when they have not, or is a consumer when they are acting for a brand. Content must also avoid false or unsupported statements. A creator should not say a pushchair folds easily, rides well or suits a given terrain unless they have used it and can back the claim. The guide to pram advertising claims covers claims such as “lightest” and “tested to British Standards”.
Affiliate links on pram blogs and videos
CAP advice states that an affiliate is rewarded by a business for each new customer attracted, usually as a commission, and gives networks such as Amazon Associates, Awin, Skimlinks and LTK as examples. Affiliates are described as a secondary advertiser, and both the business and the affiliate marketer are responsible under the CAP Code, even if the affiliate created the ad alone.
The advice says that on social media the ASA is less likely to accept that affiliate advertising can be separated from the rest of a post, so the CAP Code is likely to apply to the post in its entirety if a post depicts and refers to a brand the creator is an affiliate of. Posts should be obviously identifiable as advertising upfront, for example with “Ad” at the beginning. A disclaimer at the bottom is unlikely to be sufficient, and a generic statement that the author “may” receive a commission is described as unlikely to work; the advice cites an ASA ruling that found “may earn an affiliate commission” ambiguous and confusing.
Who enforces the rules
The CMA guidance says a creator could face enforcement from the CMA, local authority Trading Standards services, or, in Northern Ireland, the Department for the Economy, if content misleads consumers. It adds that non-compliant creators can be named by the ASA for breaking advertising rules. The ASA is the UK’s advertising regulator.
FAQs
Does a gifted pram need an ad label even if the creator was told nothing about the post?
The CMA says businesses sending products without asking for anything in return still count, and that content about gifts received for free must be labelled.
Is #gifted a suitable label?
No. The CMA lists #gift and #gifted among the terms to avoid, and recommends clear terms such as ad or advert.
Does the rule apply to small accounts?
Yes. The CMA says the guidance applies no matter how many followers a creator has.
The bottom line
A pram post prompted by a gift, discount code, commission or other incentive has to be labelled clearly, prominently and from the first moment a viewer engages. The CMA recommends terms such as “ad” or “advert” and warns against #gifted, #collab, #sponsored and similar wording, while CAP advice treats affiliate-linked posts as advertising with joint responsibility for the brand and the creator. Shoppers can use a visible label as a signal that the praise is paid or rewarded, and should look to independent testing for safety and performance. This is general information, not legal advice.
Sources
- Social media endorsements: being transparent with your followers (gov.uk)
- Online Affiliate Marketing (asa.org.uk)
- Influencers’ guide to making clear that ads are ads (asa.org.uk)