Many of the reviews, roundups and videos you find while comparing fitness equipment are commercially connected to the products they cover, through affiliate links, free products or payment. That does not make them wrong, but it does affect how you should read them. This article summarises what the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) say about labelling in their UK advertising guidance. It is separate from the rules on customer reviews on retailer listings, which we cover elsewhere.
When content counts as advertising
The ASA’s guidance on recognising ads says content must be identified as advertising when a brand gives an influencer a payment or any other incentive, requested or unsolicited, or when the influencer is otherwise personally or commercially connected to the brand. It states that this applies even to gifted items, and that the requirement stems from consumer protection law enforced by the Competition and Markets Authority and Trading Standards Services.
Affiliate marketing is covered too. According to CAP’s affiliate marketing guidance, the CAP Code applies to affiliate marketing where it is directly connected with the supply or transfer of goods, services, opportunities and gifts. Content that is entirely about affiliate products triggers full application of the Code, whereas mixed editorial and affiliate content may allow partial application. The guidance adds that a social media post may count as an affiliate ad even without an attributable affiliate link, as long as it was created in reference to the affiliate agreement.
What a proper label looks like
The ASA’s preferred label is “Ad”. Other acceptable options listed in the recognising ads guidance include “Advert”, “Advertising”, “Ad Feature” and “Advertisement Feature”. The label must be prominent and upfront, appearing at the beginning before the audience engages, and it should be clear across mobile, desktop and in-app views. The guidance says relying on a bio or previous posts is insufficient, because a post can appear in search results and be viewed in isolation.
For longer-form content, the affiliate guidance says a blog needs an identifier in the title if it is wholly affiliate-focused, or before each affiliate reference otherwise. Vlogs should carry it in the title or thumbnail, or on screen during affiliate product mentions. Voucher sites should make it clearly visible on the site generally, not buried in terms or FAQs.
What does not count as a proper label
- Disclaimers saying that affiliates “may” receive a commission, which the guidance calls too ambiguous.
- A standalone “#affiliate”, because ASA research shows consumers do not understand the term.
- Labels placed after hashtags or in areas that are cut off from view.
- Generic disclaimers placed only at the bottom of a page.
- According to the recognising ads page, wording such as “Sponsored”, “Supported by”, “Gifted” and “Thanks to”, and abbreviations such as “aff”, “sp” and “spon”.
The guidance also says both the business and the affiliate marketer are responsible under the Code, even if the ad was created solely by the affiliate without input from the business.
Reviews with affiliate links
The affiliate guidance does not single out reviews as a separate category. Affiliate-linked reviews fall under the general rules for blogs and videos, so where the content centres on promoted products, it needs obvious ad identification. In practice, this means an equipment review that earns a commission on click-through should carry a clear label near the top, not a note in the footer.
How to read a labelled or unlabelled review
- A label is information, not a verdict. “Ad” tells you there is a commercial connection. It does not tell you whether the review is fair.
- Check where the label sits. If you had to scroll or click to find a disclosure, that is not what the guidance describes as upfront.
- Look for evidence of use. Reviews that describe assembly, sizes, noise, measured specifications and drawbacks tell you more than praise for features listed on the manufacturer’s page.
- Notice what is absent. Content that never mentions a weakness, a limitation or a cheaper alternative deserves more caution.
- Cross-check. Compare a single review with what customers say on retailer listings, keeping in mind the separate UK rules on fake and incentivised customer reviews.
What if there is no label?
The absence of a label does not prove there is no commercial relationship, and the sources read do not say how to check. What they do say is that the responsibility to label lies with the marketer and the affiliate, not the reader. The pages read here do not set out a complaints process, so if you think content that should be labelled as an ad is not, check the ASA’s own site for how to raise it.
The bottom line
Under the UK advertising rules described by the ASA and CAP, content connected to a brand by payment, incentive, gifting or affiliate commission must be identified as advertising, with a clear upfront label such as “Ad” rather than “sponsored”, “#affiliate” or a footer disclaimer. Both the business and the affiliate are responsible. For buyers, a label is a prompt to look for evidence of real use, balanced drawbacks and confirmation from independent sources before spending money on equipment.