An important and relevant topic that has been addressed through several articles on Adlaw by Request in the past is the FTC’s position and guidance on endorsements and testimonials in advertising. Moreover, in a digital, social media age where blogs, social networking sites and other real time digital tools have become commonplace for user and advertiser alike, the line between them can and often has become awfully blurred. This, and many other examples, are addressed in the FTC’s long-awaited revised “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising,” issued yesterday. As reported previously on Adlaw by Request, the final revisions are intended to update the FTC’s guidance, last revised in 1980, and provide advice to advertisers and agencies regarding compliance with the FTC Act.
The principle espoused and defended by the FTC that a consumer should be informed of any material connection between the advertiser and the maker of the statements is expressly set forth in the FTC Guides, even though these cases were always fact-sensitive and subject to review on a case-by-case basis. The analysis will, as always, turn on facts that may or may not support the existence of a “material connection,” but if a company, for example, sponsors research about its products or services (or potentially about the products or services of a competitor, if the results will be used in a comparative ad), that same company must disclose its sponsorship in the ad. Similarly, although consumers may expect celebrities to be paid for appearing in commercials, if an endorsement is made outside that context – for example, on a talk show, at a book signing, at a motion picture premiere, or on Facebook, Twitter or other social media – any material relationships and connection must be disclosed.
For more information on this topic, our esteemed colleague Joe Rosenbaum presented a seminar entitled, “Trust Me, I’m a Satisfied Customer: Testimonials & Endorsements in the United States” at the University of Limerick this past July. You can go to the previous Legal Bytes blog post and download a copy of Joe’s presentation at any time.
Want to know more about the FTC Guides, or the implications to social media advertising and marketing, or traditional advertising? Feel free to contact me or the Reed Smith attorney with whom you regularly work.