NARB ProgramBackgrounds

National Advertising Review Board

The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) is the appellate body for the U.S. system of advertising industry self-regulation. Five-member NARB panels hear cases appealing an NAD or CARU decision and provide independent industry peer review, ensuring truthfulness and accuracy in national advertising and helping promote voluntary compliance of its decisions—a key pillar of industry self-regulation.

Program Impact

NARB, established in 1971 as a fair and impartial appellate body, reviews appealed NAD or CARU decisions. Nominated by various leading organizations in the advertising industry, NARB members are selected for their stature and experience in their fields. 

 

 

Truth & Transparency

When a competitor’s advertising harms consumer trust or threatens a company’s reputation and market share, the advertising self-regulatory system creates a level-playing field for business and helps ensure consumers receive truthful and accurate advertising.

Compliance

After a decision, NARB or the challenger can check in on whether the advertiser has made appropriate modifications to its advertising and has 10 days to respond. The case is closed if there is a good faith effort to bring their advertising into compliance.

Non-Compliance

In cases of lack of good faith efforts to modify or discontinue advertising as a result of a NARB decision, NARB will refer the case to an appropriate government agency, usually the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
 

For the last 50 years in the advertising industry, companies have held each other to a higher standard. In response to the pressures and criticisms of consumerism that had mounted during the previous decade, in 1971 the advertising industry established the National Advertising Division (NAD) and National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the U.S. mechanism of independent self-regulation that has stood the test of time and technological innovation.

 

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Guidelines & Procedures


Any advertiser or challenger has the right to appeal NAD’s decision to NARB. An advertiser has an automatic right of appeal. A challenger must request permission to appeal from the NARB chair and explain why it believes there is a substantial likelihood NARB would come to a different conclusion on a case than NAD. 

 

News & Blog

Press Release

BBB National Programs Announces 91 Distinguished Panel Pool Members for 2023 National Advertising Review Board

McLean, VA – January 10, 2023 – BBB National Programs today announced the 91 panel pool members of the 2023 National Advertising Review Board, the appellate body for the U.S. advertising industry’s system of self-regulation, selected for their stature and experience in their fields.

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Press Release

FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya to Keynote NAD 2022, Annual Conference of BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division

New York, NY – August 30, 2022 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) will host the NAD 2022 Annual Conference next month in Washington, D.C., on Monday, September 19 and Tuesday, September 20. NAD 2022 will be an in-person event for the first time since 2019, drawing speakers from across the advertising law...

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Blog

FTC Warns Influencers: Disclose Material Connections

Earlier this year the FTC revised its Guides for Endorsements and Testimonials and issued a guidance document answering questions about the Guides, as well as a proposed new rule on the use of consumer reviews and testimonials - almost promising businesses that the FTC would be taking a close look at influencer marketing.
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Blog

Beauty Product Claims & the NAD: Why Substantiation Matters

Substantiating product claims is required by law and may help brands avoid an inquiry from the FTC or other regulatory bodies. The founders of The Benchmarking Company, a consumer research firm for the beauty and personal care industries, interviewed NAD attorney Jennifer Santos to uncover what every brand should know about NAD.
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Decisions

Decision

National Advertising Review Board Recommends Mint Mobile Discontinue or Modify Claim that its Unlimited Plan is “Now Just $15/Mo.”

New York, NY – November 28, 2023 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommended that Mint Mobile discontinue or modify the claim that its Unlimited plan is “now just $15/mo.”

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Decision

National Advertising Review Board Recommends Modifications to Coca-Cola’s “50% More Electrolytes” Claims

New York, NY – Nov. 27, 2023 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommended The Coca-Cola Company modify its “50% more electrolytes vs. the leading sports drink” claim and modify its video advertising to avoid conveying the implied message that the 50% increase in electrolytes in Powerade provides increased...

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Decision

National Advertising Division Finds Dr. Squatch “No Harmful Ingredients” Claim Supported; Recommends Other Comparative Claims be Discontinued

New York, NY – December 5, 2023 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) determined that Dr. Squatch supported its “no harmful ingredients” claim, but recommended Dr. Squatch discontinue its use of the skull and crossbones imagery in the context of the “no harmful ingredients” and “Sh*t List”...

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Decision

National Advertising Division Recommends Royal Oak Modify or Discontinue Certain Claims for its Super Size Briquets

New York, NY – November 30, 2023 – In a challenge brought by Kingsford Products Company, the National Advertising Division (NAD) recommended that Royal Oak modify or discontinue certain comparative claims for its Super Size Briquets.

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BBB National Programs provides summaries of all case decisions in the Case Decision Summary library. For the full text of National Advertising Division, National Advertising Review Board, and Children’s Advertising Review Unit decisions, subscribe to the Online Archive. For members of the press, the full text of any BBB National Programs decision is available by emailing the request to press@bbbnp.org

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

 

 

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