National Advertising Review Board
Program Impact
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.
Guidelines & Procedures
News & Blog
BBB National Programs Announces 98 Distinguished Panel Pool Members for 2024 National Advertising Review Board
McLean, VA – January 9, 2024 – BBB National Programs today announced the 98 panel pool members of the 2024 National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate body for the U.S. advertising industry’s system of self-regulation.
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.
Ad Watchers: Putting Ads to the Truthfulness Test
The monthly Ad Watchers podcast kicked off in the 50th year of the National Advertising Division (NAD), providing listeners with behind-the-scenes access to the nitty-gritty of advertising law. Why? As the co-hosts told you, it’s “because advertising law is simple, it’s the execution that’s hard.”
To get things started, the podcast answered the foundational question: who makes the rules? It is a common misunderstanding that NAD creates or establishes standards for the U.S. advertising industry. But NAD does not make the rules (learn who does in Who Makes the Rules). Rather, NAD monitors the marketplace and resolves conflicts between companies regarding the truthfulness and accuracy of advertising, ultimately determining whether it is misleading and if the ad needs to be modified based on standards and guidance set by the Federal Trade Commission.
Across the seven episodes in season one of Ad Watchers, NAD attorneys broke down some of the most frequent advertising issues addressed in NAD cases to reveal the complexity of keeping claims truthful and accurate. Our hosts answered questions like, ‘what makes a disclosure easy to notice, read, and understand?’ and ‘where is the line between opinion and fact?’ applied to current advertising examples from NAD case decisions.
Season two is just around the corner. This year we have seven more episodes coming your way on topics such as effectively using consumer perception surveys, diversity and inclusion in advertising, and demystifying dark patterns.
Have an idea for a topic you would like to see covered or a question you want answered in season two? Let us know here.
Catch up on Season One’s Episodes
- Ep. 1: Who’s making these advertising rules?
- Ep. 2: What does it mean to have a reasonable basis?
- Ep. 3: What’s the recipe for a proper advertising disclosure?
- Ep. 4: How do we step into the shoes of the consumer?
- Ep. 5: The best podcast ever – what is puffery?
- Ep. 6: When are advertisers responsible for consumer ratings and reviews?
- Ep. 7: What evidence do you need to support health claims?
You can subscribe to receive email alerts when new podcast episodes are available.
Decisions
National Advertising Review Board Recommends Mint Mobile Discontinue or Modify Certain Claims for its Wireless Service
New York, NY – February 8, 2024 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommended that Mint Mobile modify or discontinue cost-per-month pricing promos, discontinue the “cut out the cost of retail service and passed those sweet savings directly to you” claim, and discontinue disparaging social media...
National Advertising Review Board Recommends Comcast Discontinue Use of “10G” When Referring to the Name of its Network
New York, NY – February 5, 2024 – A panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommended that Comcast discontinue use of the term 10G in the product service name “Xfinity 10G Network” and when 10G is used descriptively to describe the Xfinity network.
National Advertising Division Recommends Blueprint Test Preparation Discontinue Certain MCAT Score Improvement Claims
New York, NY – April 22, 2024 – The National Advertising Division recommended Blueprint Test Preparation discontinue certain express and implied claims made in connection with its four MCAT preparation courses, including claims that Blueprint students raise their MCAT scores by 15 or 13 points on average.
National Advertising Division Recommends The Princeton Review Discontinue Point Increase Claims for MCAT Test Preparation Services
New York, NY – April 18, 2024 – In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge, the National Advertising Division recommended that The Princeton Review (TPR) discontinue claims that its students “Score a 515+ on the MCAT or add 15 points depending on your starting score. Guaranteed or your money back.”
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.
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