NAD Fast-Track SWIFT
NAD's portfolio of filing options for advertising challenges is designed to provide businesses and the legal professionals who support them with transparent, predictable options when pursuing a challenge. NAD “case-choice” options include Fast-Track SWIFT, Standard Track, and Complex Track.
Our Fast-Track SWIFT filing option was developed to meet the compelling need for quick resolution of truth and transparency issues that arise in advertising. This expedited process reviews the prominence and/or sufficiency of disclosures in influencer marketing and native advertising as well as other advertising truth and transparency issues that do not require complex claim substantiation.
Fast-Track SWIFT Benefits
Expedited
The Fast-Track SWIFT process allows parties to receive an NAD decision within 20 business days from the opening of the caseSpecific
Challenges are limited to a single issue and must fit into one of the three “claim type” categoriesStreamlined
Submissions are made online and only one substantive submission is permitted per partyEligible Claim Types
Fast-Track SWIFT challenges are limited to a single issue. Claims that may be worded slightly differently but still convey the same message can be brought in a single challenge. Currently, NAD only accepts three types of claims for Fast-Track SWIFT challenges:
- The prominence or sufficiency of disclosures including disclosure issues in influencer marketing, native advertising, and incentivized reviews
- Misleading pricing and sales claims
- Misleading express claims that do not require review of complex evidence or substantiation such as clinical or technical testing or consumer perception evidence
Initiating a Case
All Fast-Track SWIFT challenges must be submitted via the NAD Challenge Portal and include:
- The advertiser’s contact information, including identifying the correct person to whom the challenge should be directed
- A copy of the challenged advertising and the date(s) and platforms(s) the challenged claim appeared
- A brief description of the facts showing how the advertising is likely controlled by the advertiser
- Exhibits to support the argument that the challenged claim is not substantiated (if applicable)
- A brief statement as to why the challenged claim is appropriate for the SWIFT process (e.g., it fits within the categories defined as appropriate for SWIFT review, etc.)
- The filing fee must be received by NAD before the 20-day countdown clock will begin on the challenge
Filing Fees
Filing fees cover some of the administrative costs associated with the advertising review process. Fees are based on annual revenue per the breakdown below. Filing fee waivers or partial waivers are available if economic hardship is demonstrated.
2021 Fast-Track SWIFT Filing Fees (effective January 11, 2021)
National Partner:
- Annual Revenue Under $250M: $12,000
- Annual Revenue Under $5B: $32,000
- Annual Revenue Over $5B: $40,000
Non-National Partner:
- Annual Revenue Under $250M: $15,000
- Annual Revenue Under $5B: $40,000
- Annual Revenue Over $5B: $50,000
The filing fees should be accompanied by a statement indicating the category into which the challenger’s gross annual revenue falls. In the case of a subsidiary, the filing fee is determined by the gross annual revenue of the parent company.
SWIFT Case Decisions
In Two Fast-Track SWIFT Cases, One Voluntary Discontinuance of Claims, and One National Advertising Division Recommendation to Discontinue Claims
New York, NY – July 13, 2021 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs closed two new Fast-Track SWIFT cases in June. Function challenged PerSe Beauty’s “over 192,000 5-star product reviews” claim nd Nestle Nutrition challenged Reckitt Benckiser’s exclusivity claims...
Three NAD Fast-Track SWIFT Cases Resolved; One Claim Supported, One Recommendation to Discontinue Claim, One Claim Voluntarily Discontinued
New York, NY – March 17, 2021 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs announced the resolution of three new Fast-Track SWIFT cases:
Two Fast-Track SWIFT Cases Close in October, One Voluntary Discontinuation of Claim and One Administrative Closure
NAD Recommends Similac Discontinue “#1 Pediatrician Recommended Brands” Claim in Resolved Fast-Track SWIFT Case