Many brands have reformulated beloved products with “cleaner” ingredients, while others have curated a special selection of “clean” products to offer their customers. Advertisers’ efforts, however, can run into trouble if...more
This week the FTC announced that it finalized its revisions to the Endorsement Guides, which give advertisers guidance on ensuring that their use of endorsements or testimonials complies with the FTC Act. At the same time,...more
7/3/2023
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Endorsements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Influencers ,
Marketing ,
Online Endorsements ,
Social Media ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
It has been almost 40 years since Bruce Springsteen first famously celebrated being American-made with his hit "Born in the USA."
From an advertising industry perspective, this song's lasting popularity is no surprise;...more
1/17/2023
/ Advertising ,
Class Action ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Made in the USA ,
Misleading Statements ,
Penalties ,
Product Labels ,
USDA
2021 saw well over 500 new class actions in the advertising space. With the number of these cases increasing, it is more important than ever for businesses to stay on top of the latest trends, including the types of products...more
Continuing our series on the FTC’s Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Endorsements, this post considers the issues of falsely attributed, mischaracterized, and fabricated endorsements – practices that the FTC highlighted...more
Prompted by the proliferation of social media advertising that often blurs the line between authentic content and sponsored posts, the Federal Trade Commission last week sent more than 700 companies a Notice of Penalty...more
Beginning in 2020, the advertising world saw an explosion of putative class-actions challenging the use of “vanilla” to describe products where the vanilla flavoring allegedly is not derived exclusively from the vanilla bean...more
Judge Victor Marrero of the Southern District of New York recently largely denied a motion to dismiss claims that Canada Goose misled consumers by representing that the fur on Canada Goose jackets is ethically and sustainably...more
Judge Todd W. Robinson of the Southern District of California recently dismissed a putative class action against Edgewell Personal Care, the makers of Wet Ones antibacterial hand wipes, alleging it misled consumers by...more
Minnesota federal district court Judge Patrick J. Schiltz recently dismissed with prejudice an alleged class action claiming that Champion Petfoods misrepresented the quality of its dog food and ingredients by failing to...more
Now that 2020 is in the rearview mirror (*collective sigh of relief*), we wanted to share our perspective on notable decisions and trends from this past year at the National Advertising Division and the advertising...more
1/29/2021
/ Advertising ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dietary Supplements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Health Claims ,
Labeling ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
NARB ,
Personal Care Products
Now that 2020 is in the rearview mirror (*collective sigh of relief*), we wanted to share our perspective on notable decisions and trends from this past year at the National Advertising Division and the advertising...more
1/28/2021
/ Advertising ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dietary Supplements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Health Claims ,
Labeling ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
NARB ,
Personal Care Products
While 2020 was an eventful year in the world of advertising law, it feels wrong to begin any type of “year in review” without acknowledging the global events of this year, and the challenges they have brought to every...more
1/13/2021
/ Advertising ,
Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
Class Action ,
Counterfeiting ,
Disgorgement ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Lanham Act ,
Marketing ,
Product Labels ,
Romag Fasteners v Fossil ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Judge Alison Nathan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently dismissed with prejudice a putative class action alleging Starbucks misrepresented itself as a “premium” coffee retailer. In doing...more
NPR and PBS recently released an attention-grabbing investigation titled “How Big Oil Misled The Public Into Believing Plastic Would Be Recycled.” According to the investigation, beginning in the late 1980s, “big oil” began...more
12/4/2020
/ Advertising ,
Class Action ,
Class Representatives ,
Environmental Claims ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Labeling ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
Plastics ,
Recycling ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Unjust Enrichment
Judge Raag Singhal of the Southern District of Florida recently granted Burger King’s motion to dismiss a putative class action challenging its advertising for its plant-based “Impossible Burger,” and its motion to deny class...more
9/2/2020
/ Advertising ,
Breach of Contract ,
Burger King ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Consumer Fraud ,
Food Marketing ,
Motion to Dismiss ,
Putative Class Actions ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Unjust Enrichment
After the recent dismissal of nearly identical claims, the same consumer plaintiffs have once again been thwarted in their attempt to challenge labeling and advertising that supposedly misleads consumers into believing the...more
Last month, a Fifth Circuit panel vacated in part a judgment in a false advertising case that disgorged the defendant’s profits, awarded corrective advertising damages under the Lanham Act and enjoined the disputed claims....more
A Second Circuit panel recently affirmed the dismissal of a putative false advertising class action against Dunkin’ Brands, which alleged the company misled consumers as to the contents of products Dunkin’ described as “Angus...more
Judge Vernon Broderick of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York recently decided a motion to dismiss by luxury consignment goods reseller The RealReal (“TRR”) in an action brought by famous French...more
On February 6, the California Court of Appeals (Second Appellate District) sustained a lower court’s dismissal of a putative class action alleging that the claim “no sugar added” on the label of tangerine juice is deceptive...more
On January 31, 2020, Southern District of New York Judge Alvin Hellerstein denied Plaintiff Matthew Marotto’s motion for reconsideration of an order denying class certification in his lawsuit against Pringles potato chip...more
After Ninth Circuit review, it remains to be seen whether a nutritional supplement maker can claim that ginkgo biloba leaf extract and vinpocetine supplements improve “alertness,” “mental clarity, and memory” in the face of...more
4/10/2019
/ Advertising ,
Appeals ,
Class Action ,
CLRA ,
Dietary Supplements ,
False Advertising ,
Preponderance of the Evidence ,
Remand ,
Reversal ,
Scientific Evidence ,
Summary Judgment ,
Unfair Competition Law (UCL)
On December 4, 2018, the Eleventh Circuit partially reversed the dismissal of Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals’ suit against HBS International Corp. for alleged violations of the Lanham Act and Georgia’s Uniform Deceptive Trade...more
Earlier this year, we covered a decision from the District of Connecticut finding state law false advertising claims against the bottled water company Poland Spring preempted by the FDCA. Flowing from that decision is the...more
11/7/2018
/ Advertising ,
Amended Complaints ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Lanham Act ,
Lexmark ,
Preemption ,
Private Right of Action ,
State Law Claims ,
Zone of Interests