BBB National Programs Decision Summaries
BBB National Programs provides summaries of all case decisions from the National Advertising Division (NAD), National Advertising Review Board (NARB), Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), Direct Selling Self-Regulatory Council (DSSRC), and Digital Advertising Accountability Program (DAAP). Subscribe to receive a weekly wrap-up of published case decisions in your inbox.
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10/14/2021 - National Advertising Review Board Finds Certain AT&T Comparative Advertising Claims Supported; Recommends Discontinuation or Modification of Others
New York, NY – October 14, 2021 – The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has determined that AT&T Services, Inc. properly supported certain comparative advertising claims for its fiber-optic internet service in one commercial and one internet video advertisement. However, it recommended that AT&T discontinue three commercials and discontinue or modify one commercial. The advertising at issue had been challenged by Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. before the National Advertising Division (NAD). Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6950), AT&T appealed all of NAD’s recommendations that it modify its claims.
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6/17/2021 - National Advertising Review Board Recommends Colgate Discontinue “Removes 10 Years of Yellow Stains” Claim for Optic White Renewal Toothpaste
New York, NY – June 17, 2021 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising law body of BBB National Programs, has recommended that Colgate-Palmolive Company discontinue the claim that Optic White Renewal Toothpaste “removes 10 years of yellow stains” based on its determination that the claim is not supported by the advertiser’s evidence.
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6/16/2021 - National Advertising Review Board Recommends Boost Mobile Discontinue “Unlimited Data” Claim for 4G LTE Data Plans
New York, NY – June 16, 2021 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising law body of BBB National Programs, has recommended that Boost Mobile discontinue the claim “unlimited data” for its “Go Unlimited” data plans based on its determination that Boost Mobile failed to provide proper support for the use of the “unlimited data” claim as reasonable consumers understand that term. The advertising at issue, along with certain other claims for Boost Mobile’s “Go Unlimited” plans, had been challenged by AT&T Services, Inc. before the National Advertising Division (NAD).
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3/31/2021 - NARB Recommends doTERRA Discontinue Certain Health Benefit and “Therapeutic Grade” Essential Oil Claims
New York, NY – March 31, 2021 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that doTERRA International, LLC discontinue a “Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade” claim as well as any use of the term “therapeutic grade” to describe doTERRA’s products. The NARB panel recommendation extends to claims that distinguish doTERRA’s essential oils as qualitatively different or more efficacious than those not considered “therapeutic grade.” NARB has also recommended doTERRA discontinue express and implied aromatherapy claims that promote health and wellness benefits from essential oils and doTERRA essential oil products. The advertising at issue had been challenged by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. before BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD). Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6420), doTERRA appealed NAD’s recommendation to discontinue some of the claims under review.
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2/24/2021 - NARB Recommends AT&T Disclose Material Connections When Citing Testing Company Data, Modify “Building 5G on America’s Best Network” Claim
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has recommended that AT&T Services, Inc. clearly and conspicuously disclose its material connection to Global Wireless Solutions (GWS) when making a “Best Network” claim that is based on GWS testing. The NARB panel also recommended that AT&T discontinue the claim that AT&T is “Building 5G on America’s Best Network,” or state in the body of the claim that the “Best Network” referred to is AT&T’s 4G network. The advertising at issue had been challenged by Verizon Wireless, Inc. before the National Advertising Division (NAD). Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6401), AT&T appealed and Verizon cross appealed.
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1/27/2021 - NARB Recommends Comcast Discontinue or Modify “Best In-Home WiFi Experience” Claim and Discontinue its “Roommate” Commercial
A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising law body of BBB National Programs, has recommended that Comcast Cable Communications, LLC discontinue its “Roommate” (also referred to as “Living with AT&T”) commercial and discontinue its “Best In-Home WiFi Experience” claim or modify it to refer to the specific attributes for which it can support a superiority claim. The advertising at issue had been challenged by AT&T Services, Inc. before BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD). Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6417), Comcast appealed, and AT&T cross-appealed, certain NAD findings and recommendations.
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1/12/2021 - NARB Refers Health-Related Claims for Theraworx Relief for Muscle and Joint Products to the FTC
New York, NY – January 12, 2021 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) has referred advertising claims made by Avadim Health, Inc. to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for review and possible enforcement action. The referral comes after the company declined to comply with a NARB recommendation to discontinue unsupported health-related claims for Avadim’s Theraworx Relief Products. This challenge originally brought before the National Advertising Division (NAD) by Chattem, Inc., a Sanofi Company, involved claims for two related homeopathic external analgesic products.
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12/22/2020 - NARB Recommends Verizon Discontinue or Modify Certain Superiority Claims for Verizon Fios; Finds Modified “Fastest Internet Available” Claim Substantiated
New York, NY – December 22, 2020 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommended that Verizon Communications, Inc. qualify its “fastest internet available” claim by disclosing clearly and conspicuously the source of the data supporting the claim, discontinue claims that Fios provides superior streaming or buffering and that fiber is more weather resilient, modify claims that Fios supports more devices to explain which consumers would see a consumer relevant benefit, and discontinue unqualified claims (i) of superior reliability, (ii) that Fios provides superior performance, (iii) that fiber technology provides superior performance; and (iv) that fiber is better. The advertising at issue had been challenged by Charter Communications, Inc. before NAD.
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12/21/2020 - NARB Recommends T-Mobile Discontinue or Modify Superior Reliability and Other 5G Claims; Finds No Implied Messages in Its Superior 5G Coverage Claims
New York, NY – December 21, 2020 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), on an appeal from a decision of the National Advertising Division (NAD), has recommended that T-Mobile, U.S., Inc. discontinue or modify certain superior reliability and 5G claims. The panel also found that T-Mobile’s superior coverage claims did not imply overall superiority, rejecting NAD’s conclusion that such claims required the disclosure of material differences. The advertising at issue had been challenged by Verizon Communications Inc. The challenged claims were contained principally in a four-minute video, “Bill Nye Explains 5G,” available on a T-Mobile website.
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11/24/2020 - NARB Recommends that Young Living Essential Oils Discontinue “Therapeutic Grade” and Health and Wellness Benefit Claims
New York, NY – November 24, 2020 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising law body of BBB National Programs, has recommended that Young Living Essential Oils, LC (Young Living) discontinue “therapeutic grade” claims for its “essential oils,” as well as unsupported health and wellness benefit claims. The advertising at issue, as well as other claims, had been challenged by S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (SCJ) before the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs. Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6385), Young Living appealed all aspects of NAD’s findings adverse to it.