Krispy Kreme is overhauling its marketing and advertising as the doughnut giant seeks to the navigate the new junk food rules – dubbed the Less Healthy Food (LHF) legislation – which introduce a strict, near-total ban on paid online advertising and a 9pm watershed for TV ads for foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS).
While most major advertisers, broadcasters and online platforms voluntarily started adhering to the legislation in October, it seems many brands are still working out how to comply; the rules officially came into force on January 5.
The brand has now appointed Ark Agency lead creative agency across the UK and Ireland, with a multi-touchpoint remit to re-establish its market lead and tackle evolving consumer behaviours reshaping the environment for indulgent treats.
First launched in the US in the 1930s, the brand operates in 40 countries through its network of fresh doughnut shops, partnerships with leading retailers, and a rapidly growing digital business.
There are nearly 100 standalone Krispy Kreme stores in the UK, the brand also has a presence in 500 Tesco stores. The company crafts and hand finishes 300,000 doughnuts every night, across its 14 bakeries in the UK and Ireland.
Ark Agency will work closely with VCCP Media, which has run the performance marketing account in the UK and Ireland since 2023; VML handles the global account.
Krispy Kreme marketing director for UK and Ireland Jane Walker said: “This is an exciting moment for Krispy Kreme as we look to re-establish our place in the nation’s hearts. We appointed Ark because they are a brilliant hothouse of creative talent, bringing big-brand experience together with true challenger-brand thinking. That combination is exactly what we need right now.”
Ark Agency founder Mat Goff added: “There aren’t many brands in the world with the power to change the atmosphere in a room in an instant but Krispy Kreme is undoubtedly one of them.
“Jane and the team have ambitious plans to get the brand back to its magnetic best and we are very much enjoying getting stuck in.”
The debut activity is expected to launch in the first half of 2026.
The win continues strong momentum for Ark, which has secured a diverse roster of clients in recent months, including Loveholidays, Magners, Huel and Löfbergs.
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