National Advertising Division Refers Advertising Claims Made by Zero Gravity to Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Food and Drug Administration

New York, NY – December 11, 2019 – The National Advertising Division has referred advertising claims made by Zero Gravity for its Perfectio line of medical devices to the Federal Trade Commission for further review. The advertiser did not respond to NAD’s requests to provide substantiation for its claims.

NAD is an investigative unit of the advertising industry’s system of self-regulation and is a division of the BBB NP’s self-regulatory and dispute resolution programs.

As part of NAD’s routine monitoring program, NAD requested substantiation for online advertising claims that included:

Express claims:

  • The safest and most effective, advanced Anti-aging product today.
  • Perfectio™ is easy to use and you can achieve younger, firmer skin in no time at all.
  • Scientifically proven.
  • Results [from the Princeton clinical trial] proved that within a period of one week, visible improvement was reported by 91% of subjects. (The research team defined improvement as: reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, enhancement of clarity, smoothness and radiance).
  • Within a period of seven weeks, dramatic visible improvement was reported by 100% of the subjects [in the Princeton clinical trial], with 32% improvement measured in the overall appearance of their skin in regards to all key signs of aging.
  • The limited edition has a combination of more powerful infrared LEDs that will supply deeper and effective treatment to all skin layers.
  • Revolutionary LED anti-aging facial rejuvenation technique.
  • LED facial technology gently delivers precise dosages of energy to the skin to repair collagen in the dermis while simultaneously erases signs of aging in the epidermis (top layer of skin).
  • [LED facial technology] is based on the science of stimulating collagen production, naturally filling and erasing fine lines and wrinkles.
  • LED light improves sunspots, age spots, dull complexions, uneven pigmentation, large pores, sun damaged skin, and early signs of aging.
  • LED light improves red flushing skin, rosacea, and broken capillaries.
  • Red light therapy is safe for all skin types and people of all ages.

Testimonials:

  • “I have used it twice a week and since them have noticed a dramatic improvement in the appearance of my skin. My pores seem to be smaller; there is less discoloration caused by my melasma, and there is [a] reduction in my fine lines. Overall, I am pleased with the results.”
  • Before and after photographs.

Implied Claim:

  • Perfectio+ provides anti-aging results that are akin to cosmetic procedures.

In light of the failure to provide a substantive response to NAD’s request for substantiation for its claims or participate in any way in the self-regulatory process, NAD has referred the matter to the FTC and FDA for possible enforcement action.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs (BBB NP) fosters trust, innovation, and competition in the marketplace through the development and delivery of cost-effective third-party self-regulation, dispute resolution and other programs. These programs were formerly administered by the Council of Better Business Bureaus. BBB NP is the home of industry self-regulatory and dispute resolution programs that include the National Advertising Division (NAD), National Advertising Review Board (NARB), BBB EU Privacy Shield, BBB AUTO LINE, Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative (CFBAI), Children’s Confection Advertising Initiative (CCAI), Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), Digital Advertising Accountability Program (Accountability Program), and the Coalition for Better Advertising Dispute Resolution Program (CBA DRM). The programs are designed to resolve business issues and advance shared objectives by responding to marketplace concerns to create a better customer experience. To learn more about industry self-regulation, please visit: BBBNP.org.

 

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