FTC updates endorser guidelines

coach hale

New Member
FTC updates testimonial/endorser guidelines.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

**If an advertisement features a consumer experience that is not typical, it must clearly disclose what consumers can generally expect. The 1980 version permitted advertisers to describe unusual results in a testimonial as long as they included a disclaimer such as "results not typical." Advertisers typically did this so inconspicuously that many people would not notice it. The new guidelines require disclaimers to be "clear and conspicuous."

**All "material connections" (including payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers must be disclosed.

**Both advertisers and endorsers may be liable for false or unsubstantiated claims made in an endorsement-or for failure to disclose material connections between the advertiser and endorsers.

**Celebrities have a duty to disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements outside the context of traditional ads, such as on talk shows or in social media.

It will be interesting to see how this changes or if it changes shady advertising campaigns. It will probably alter the schemes of some companies.

Coach Hale
www.maxcondition.com
 
Interesting to see if this will be/is "extendable" to include forum posts... gspartan you listening?
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