If you’re one of the 1,743 people who are still amused by the whole Sharknado phenomenon, then you should consider yourself warned that the latest entry into the self-consciously trashy TV franchise is apparently not much more than an extended commercial for numerous Comcast-owned brands. [More]
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McDonald’s Billboard Offers Free McFlurries For The Hot & Hungry
By 7.20.15
Everyone likes to get free stuff, especially if that stuff happens to include food and drinks. Earlier this year companies began using “drinkable” billboards to dispense beverages to thirsty consumers. Now, McDonald’s has taken that idea and made it their own by giving away free McFlurries to pedestrians when the temperatures reach scorching levels. [More]
CFPB Reminds Retailers They Can’t Accept Military Allotments For Certain Purchases
By 7.20.15
Allotments allow military servicemembers to automatically direct some of their paycheck to parties of their choosing, ideally for savings, insurance premiums, housing payments, and support of dependents. Until recently, allotments could also be used to make retail purchases, but such transactions weren’t covered by many of the legal protections that come with traditional payment methods like electronic checks and debit cards. Recently enacted rules now prohibit the use of allotments for buying personal property, and federal regulators are reminding retailers they have to follow the law. [More]
Twitter Removes Its Ads With Autoplay Videos After Epilepsy Group Calls The Promos “Irresponsible”
By 7.10.15
Twitter has pulled two ads promoting its new music service after an epilepsy organization complained that the auto-playing videos with brightly flashing colors could trigger seizures. [More]
Subway Removes “Jared’s Journey” From Website Following FBI Search Of Spokesman’s Home
By 7.7.15
UPDATE: A new Tweet from Subway says that the company and Jared “have agreed to suspend their relationship due to the current investigation, and that “Jared is cooperating with authorities.” [More]
Comcast’s New Remote Control Now Advertises Comcast-Distributed Kids Movie
By 6.29.15
Hey kids, isn’t vertical integration awesome? Thanks to Comcast’s acquisition of NBC/Universal, the cable giant can now use its latest high-tech remote control to advertise its feature films directly to your living room! Let’s all cheer for cross-promotional, cross-platform, market-targeted, gibberish-spouting synergy!! [More]
Report Finds 100+ Walmart.com Products Labeled “Made In U.S.A.” That Were Made Elsewhere
By 6.29.15
While there is no official review process required for labeling a product as “Made in the U.S.A.,” a company can get into legal trouble for misusing that label, as doing so may constitute false advertising. A new report from an advertising watchdog group claims that Walmart’s website has more than 100 examples of products incorrectly marketed as made in America. [More]
Kohl’s To Pay Nearly $1M To Settle Allegations It Overcharged Customers In California
By 6.29.15
Kohl’s Corporation must shell out nearly $1 million to settle lawsuits with four California counties over allegations the company charged customers more than the price advertised on shelves and signs. [More]
Verizon Completes $4.4B Acquisition Of AOL
By 6.23.15
It’s not often you hear about a shotgun wedding between two tech companies, but that’s apparently what happened for Verizon and AOL, as the recently betrothed said today that they had officially completed a $4.4 billion acquisition proposed just a month ago. [More]
Ad Watchdog: Toy Lightsaber Doesn’t Light Up, Commercial Is Misleading
By 6.22.15
As far as we know, the Jedi are not real. Lightsabers are not real. For children, though, the lines between real life and fiction can get a little fuzzy. That’s why the ad industry’s self-regulation body is not impressed with Hasbro’s ad for an awesome double-bladed lightsaber, since it cuts footage of an animated character together with footage of a kid playing with the toy, which creates the impression that the toy lightsaber lights up. It doesn’t. [More]
Chobani On Its Ad Featuring Same-Sex Couple: “We’re Proud That Our Products Are Enjoyed By All”
By 6.18.15
While the idea of eating food in bed might make people angry for cleanliness reasons (such a mess!), others are ticked off at Chobani for its latest ad featuring two women in bed together, one of whom happens to be eating yogurt. The ever-vigilant folks at One Million Moms have a problem not only with lesbians eating yogurt in bed, but with the fact that a same-sex couple would flaunt their wedding rings while doing so. In response, Chobani says it’s proud that all kinds of people like to eat its yogurt, in bed and married or otherwise. [More]
Why Do Websites Refuse To Label Sponsored Content As “Advertising”?
By 6.11.15
Looking back at our breakdowns of so-called “native advertising,” the ad-world terminology for an advertisement made to look like a news story, you may have noticed that these execrable, nauseating (but profitable) ads were labeled things like “Sponsored by…,” or “Promoted,” or the blatantly vague “From our partners,” but none of them simply said “advertisement.” And the people who make money off this insidious nonsense say there’s a good reason. [More]
San Francisco Officials Considering A Health Warning On Ads For Sodas, Sugary Drinks
By 6.9.15
Although a proposed tax on sodas and sugary drinks didn’t fly in San Francisco, officials are now mulling the idea of slapping a health warning on advertisements appearing within the city limits for sugary beverages. [More]
Amazon Now Selling Ad Space On Shipping Boxes
By 6.9.15
Amazon has been using its boxes to advertise its own products and services for years, but now the e-commerce giant is realizing that there might be some money to be made by shipping customers’ packages in cartons branded by paying advertisers. [More]
Roofing Company Sends Me A Postcard Of My Own House
By 6.5.15
Rebekah received an advertising flyer in the mail recently from a local roofing company. It was addressed to “Current Resident,” and she glanced at it before throwing it away. Wait…that house printed on the postcard looked familiar. It was her house. Unnerved, she sent the postcard over to us, asking, “Is this common?” [More]
Advertisers Can Now Add Action Buttons Like “Shop Now” To Instagram Ads
By 6.2.15
The days of an ad-free Instagram are long gone, lost in the pre-Facebook ownership days, so it might be no surprise that the photo-and-video-sharing social media app will now feature ads that let viewers take action beyond liking or commenting on them. [More]
John Oliver Pledges To Eat McDonald’s, Drink Budweiser If They Use Sponsorship Power To Change FIFA
By 6.1.15
Last week, the soccer world was rocked when numerous current and former FIFA officials were arrested and charged with accepting illegal kickbacks and bribes. Only days later, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, under whose oversight these alleged crimes have occurred for nearly two decades, was reelected. That’s why John Oliver has called on FIFA’s high-profile sponsors to use their financial leverage to effect some change in the most powerful soccer organization in the world. [More]
