BBB National Programs Archive

CARU Recommends Glow Crazy Modify Advertising to Better Disclose Material Information; Company Agrees to Do So

New York, NY – June 7, 2011 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc., has recommended that Glow Crazy, which markets the Glow Crazy glow wand, modify its advertising to include the necessary disclosure that batteries are not included.

 Broadcast and Internet advertising for the product came to the attention of CARU through CARU’s ongoing monitoring of advertising directed to children.

 The advertising at issue featured children playing with the glow-in-the-dark product. Broadcast advertising directed viewers to the product’s official Website, www.GlowCrazy.com. Neither the television nor Website advertising contains a disclosure stating that the product requires batteries and/or that batteries are not included.  The actual product packaging states, “Requires 4 AAA Batteries (Not Included).”

 CARU was concerned that the advertising at issue did not disclose that the product required batteries and that batteries were not included.

 In response to CARU’s inquiry, the advertiser said that it recognized the absence of disclosures and would modify the advertising to address CARU’s concerns.

 Glow Crazy, in its advertiser’s statement, said it “accepts CARU’s decision and has agreed to include both written and audio versions of material disclosures such as “batteries not included,” in its advertising.”