Category: Go Media

New York, NY – March 14, 2024 – Following a BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division challenge brought by Haleon, plc, Ginger Health Company (Wonderbelly) voluntarily modified certain claims for its Wonderbelly Antacids, including:

• Modification of its influencer practices to add #ad #WonderbellyPartner to the beginning of each influencer post;
• Requiring its influencers to include a verbal notice of their partnership with Wonderbelly in any video influencer material; and
• Modification of its advertising (particularly in connection with the retelling of its origin story) to avoid conveying the message that either TUMS or talc causes cancer or are otherwise harmful.

 

Wonderbelly also informed the National Advertising Division (NAD) that it voluntarily agreed to discontinue certain other challenged claims and, therefore, NAD did not review these claims on their merits. NAD will treat the modified and discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be modified or discontinued.

Further, Haleon challenged a social media post by Demi Moore in which she stated that her promotion of Wonderbelly was “not an ad” and failed to disclose that she is an investor in the brand. In addition to other modifications Wonderbelly is making, NAD recommended that Wonderbelly discontinue the “not an ad” language.

NAD also recommended that when reposting influencer content, Wonderbelly clearly and conspicuously disclose that the influencers have a material connection to Wonderbelly.

NAD determined that the following Wonderbelly claims did not convey a misleading message:

• “Free from talc, dyes, artificial sweeteners, parabens and genetically modified ingredients”; and
• “Wonderbelly is committed to happy bellies,” is “belly quelling,” ensures “no more bad belly,” and pictures of a stomach.

 

NAD also concluded that the challenged advertising does not convey the implied messages that Wonderbelly Antacids provide relief to the stomach (except in connection with heartburn relief, as indicated on its label) and that Wonderbelly Antacids treat most, if not all, common stomach issues.

In its advertiser statement, Wonderbelly stated that it “will abide by the recommendations made by NAD” and “appreciates NAD’s guidance in supplying complete and effective disclosure to customers.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org

Report details trust in generative AI is dependent on accuracy of output and transparency, with 86% saying establishing ethical guidelines and standards is crucial

NEW YORK — March 13, 2024 — LexisNexis® Legal & Professional, a leading global provider of information and analytics, today released results from its inaugural LexisNexis Future of Work Report, which demonstrated a significant positive stance in trust and attitudes toward generative AI (GenAI). The survey of more than 500 professionals across diverse industries worldwide revealed that 72% of professionals anticipate a positive impact from GenAI on daily work. In contrast, 82% expect it to take over a range of repetitive administrative tasks, allowing organizations to increase productivity and accelerate growth.

The report most notably showed that despite looming concerns over job security and satisfaction, only 4% see GenAI as a threat to job security, while nearly half (45%) noted job satisfaction had improved thanks to GenAI. The positive perspective extended to the impact professionals see for overall organizational performance, with 74% expressing some degree of optimism.

“The recent and rapid rise of GenAI marks a pivotal shift in how organizations must operate and strategize. LexisNexis embarked on this survey to shed light on how GenAI technology intersects with the realities of our professional lives and can improve how we perform our work,” said Todd Larsen, President, Nexis Solutions, a division of LexisNexis. “We believe that through collaboration and a shared understanding of GenAI, organizations can adopt and embrace the massive opportunities it provides which is why this is exactly what we are focused on at LexisNexis.”

Additional insights and findings show:

• GenAI’s Value and Industry Potential: GenAI is seen as adding value across a myriad of industries, including risk and legal, marketing and sales, corporate IT, strategy and finance and more. Industries poised to benefit most from GenAI include consultancies, legal services, financial services, and media and entertainment, among others.
• Seismic Shift in Acceptance and Use of GenAI: Ninety-six percent of business professionals say technology is crucial to organizational success. Additionally, 92% of professionals are curious about GenAI’s creative potential, with 86% noting a willingness to embrace GenAI for both creative and professional work. GenAI is also viewed as a useful tool and operational game-changer, with 69% of respondents using GenAI to assist with daily tasks.

Trust in GenAI Dependent on Accuracy of Output and Transparency

While organizations are bullish on AI, they must address apprehensions and build guardrails to counter mistrust with GenAI. Concerns range from data privacy issues to ethical questions about algorithmic bias and decision-making transparency. Nearly nine in ten professionals rank the quality and accuracy of the output as the #1 consideration in selecting a GenAI tool, and 86% say establishing ethical guidelines and standards is crucial. When it comes to building trust, a resounding majority (97%) say that human validation of GenAI outputs is important, and 80% report that ensuring systems are transparent and explainable is necessary.

To access LexisNexis’ entire Future of Work report and more details, please visit https://professional.lexisnexis.com/en-us/future-of-work-2024. For more information on leading legal AI tools from LexisNexis, also visit www.lexisnexis.com/genai.

About LexisNexis Legal & Professional
LexisNexis^® Legal & Professional provides legal, regulatory, and business information and analytics that help customers increase their productivity, improve decision-making, achieve better outcomes, and advance the rule of law around the world. As a digital pioneer, the company was the first to bring legal and business information online with its Lexis^® and Nexis^® services. LexisNexis Legal & Professional, which serves customers in more than 150 countries with 11,800 employees worldwide, is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers.

New York, NY – March 7, 2024 – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division determined, as part of its routine monitoring program, that Amyris Clean Beauty, Inc. provided a reasonable basis for the claims:

• “Our 100% sugarcane derived squalane is ethically and sustainably sourced”; and
• Squalane is “a hero ingredient in *every* Biossance formula? This miracle multitasker locks in weightless moisture, calms and protects, and improves elasticity.”

However, the National Advertising Division (NAD) recommended that Amyris:

• Modify the claim “Clean ingredients and clean formulas – we ban over 2000 ingredients that are known to be toxic to you and the environment” to reflect the banned ingredients that are typically used in cosmetics products;
• Discontinue the claim “keeping 2 million sharks every year safe from liver harvesting” or modify it to avoid referring to a numerical figure; and
• Discontinue the claim “All of our ingredients are also ethically and sustainably sourced.”

Under the Biossance brand, the synthetic biotechnology company Amyris creates and markets cosmetic products that feature sugarcane-derived squalane. Squalane has historically been derived from shark livers.

Clean Ingredients Claim

The claim “Clean ingredients and clean formulas – we ban over 2000 ingredients that are known to be toxic to you and the environment” appeared on the Biossance Sustainability webpage. While Amyris provided many sources for its banned ingredients as support for the challenged claim, the National Advertising Division (NAD) found that it is not clear whether the over 2,000 ingredients Amyris does not use in its products are associated with cosmetic products. Therefore, NAD recommended modifying the claim specifying banned ingredients typically used in cosmetic products.

Sustainability Claims

In support of its claim “keeping 2 million sharks every year safe from liver harvesting,” Amyris calculated the number of sharks saved based on 2012 data regarding an estimated number of sharks killed and an estimate as to the global demand for shark liver oil. However, the National Advertising Division (NAD) determined that absent more certainty as to the number of sharks killed and the amount of shark liver oil used by the cosmetics industry, there is no reliable figure as to the amount of sharks saved. Therefore, NAD recommended that the claim be discontinued or modified to avoid referring to a numerical figure. NAD noted that nothing in its decision prevents Amyris from making a more general claim that sharks are not harvested for squalane found in Biossance products.

NAD determined that Amyris provided a reasonable basis for the claim “Our 100% sugarcane derived squalane is ethically and sustainably sourced” based on a 2022 certification, which required adherence to various criteria and indicators relating to sustainable farming and milling.

Regarding the claim “All of our ingredients are also ethically and sustainably sourced,” NAD determined that while Amyris’ Supplier Code of Conduct might demonstrate its commitment to ensuring that ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced, it does not demonstrate that all ingredients are, in fact, ethically and sustainably sourced. Therefore, NAD recommended that the claim be discontinued or modified to better fit the evidence in the record.

Efficacy Claim

As support for its claim “Did you know our squalane is sugar-cane derived and it’s a hero ingredient in *every* Biossance formula? This miracle multitasker locks in weightless moisture, calms and protects, and improves elasticity” Amyris relied on three studies that assessed the impact of squalane, in the form and range of the amount found in the Biossance products, on these objectively measurable attributes.

After reviewing the evidence, the National Advertising Division (NAD) determined that the claim “[i]t’s a hero ingredient in *every* Biossance formula? This miracle multitasker locks in weightless moisture, calms and protects, and improves elasticity” is supported by a reasonable basis.

In its advertiser statement, Biossance stated that it “will comply with NAD’s recommendations” although it disagrees with certain aspects of the decision.

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. The National Advertising Division reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org

New York, NY – February 27, 2024 – Following a challenge brought by BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division as part of its routine monitoring program, the National Advertising Division recommended that product review site, Smarter Reviews:

• Discontinue its rankings and reviews format, or
• Modify its advertising to avoid conveying a message that the review and rankings webpages and the reviews and rankings themselves are unbiased, genuine, and independent and on an unbiased and objective review site.

 

In a Google search result, the claim, “2023’s Top Eye Treatment for Refreshed, Youthful-Looking Eyes: We reveal the top 5 products for reducing & preventing the look of aging skin around the eyes,” appeared as part of an article on Smarter-Reviews.com.

The National Advertising Division (NAD) inquiry focused on whether the challenged claims in both the Google Search result and the eye cream rankings on the Smarter-Reviews.com website reasonably conveyed that they were independent and objective, when, in fact, they are advertisements.

During the inquiry, Smarter Reviews modified its webpage to add several disclosures that the webpage is advertising for TruAlchemy’s Eye Elixir, the #1 ranked product, including “owned and operated by Scale Media, Inc.”  

While NAD appreciated the changes made by Smarter Reviews, NAD determined that it was not sufficiently clear that the content is advertising, noting that the reviews and rankings on the webpage appear to be the product of a dispassionate, independent analysis conducted by an editorial team.

NAD concluded that when advertisers control review websites, a disclosure, even if clear and conspicuous, may not be sufficient to alert consumers that the review is created or sponsored by the advertiser and advertising websites. Further, NAD found no evidence that Smarter Reviews has the expertise it purports to have in reviewing and ranking products, nor is there evidence that the endorsement is based on the expertise the website purports to have.

In its advertiser statement, Smarter Reviews stated that it “agrees to comply with NAD’s recommendations” although it “believes that the content and the disclosures on Smarter Reviews clearly and conspicuously explain the nature of the relationship between the products advertised and Scale Media, consistent with the FTC’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.  

Contact Information:

Name: Jennie Rosenberg
Email: jrosenberg@bbbnp.org
Job Title: Media Relations

New York, NY – February 26, 2024 – Following a BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division challenge brought by Bic USA Inc., Calico Brands, Inc. discontinued claims that its Scripto^® Aim ‘n Flame^® MAX Lighter is the “#1 Selling Multi-Purpose Lighter.”

Calico Brands informed the National Advertising Division (NAD) that it permanently discontinued the challenged claims. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the claims, for compliance purposes, as though NAD recommended they be discontinued.

In its advertiser statement, Calico Brands stated that it “will comply with NAD’s recommendations” and noted that although it “believes that a variety of data can support the advertising of its Scripto lighter” it has “voluntarily discontinued the statements that were being challenged.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. NAD reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business. 

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org

New York, NY – February 21, 2024 – In a Fast-Track SWIFT challenge brought by Verizon Communications Inc., BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division recommended that Charter Communications, Inc. discontinue the claim that Verizon customers will “save over $1,500 in their first year” if they switch to Spectrum Mobile or modify the claim by adding or improving certain disclosures.

Fast-Track SWIFT is an expedited process designed for single-issue advertising cases brought to the National Advertising Division (NAD).

The challenged claim appeared in commercials for Spectrum Mobile comparing costs between two couples with different mobile carriers. “George and Heidi” with Verizon stand under a “Verizon” heading and “Dan and Tina” with Spectrum Mobile and stand under a “Spectrum Mobile” heading. Under the headings, both couples are shown to have two lines, unlimited data, and nationwide 5G. Large print text states that Spectrum Mobile customers “SAVE OVER $1,500 FIRST YEAR.” George and Heidi are told that they pay “way too much” and decide that they are “switching to Spectrum.”

NAD considered whether a consumer interested in maximizing savings would reasonably assume that the comparison involves the two least expensive or entry-level plans. NAD concluded that while Charter may compare the pricing of two plans at different “tiers” within the carriers’ offerings, in this context, it must be clear that the lowest tier Spectrum Mobile plan is being compared with a plan that is not Verizon’s lowest tier plan.

In addition, NAD considered whether the advertising omits material information, specifically, the requirement that one must have Spectrum Internet to take advantage of the offer for Spectrum Mobile. NAD determined that the disclosure that Spectrum Internet is required is not clear and conspicuous.

For these reasons, NAD recommended that Charter discontinue the claim that “With Verizon, George and Heidi pay way more for their two unlimited lines,” along with several other claims including “ONLY $29.99 / MO FOR 12 MOS;” “SAVE OVER $1,500 FIRST YEAR;” “$1,516.68 Savings First Year;” “No Hidden Fees;” “No Added Taxes,” or modify the claim to clearly and conspicuously disclose the Spectrum Internet requirement as well as the plans forming the basis of the price comparison and otherwise avoid conveying the message that Verizon does not offer a lower price tier.

In its advertiser statement, Charter stated that while it “disagrees that its existing disclosures were insufficient” it “will comply with NAD’s recommendations to improve the disclosures it includes with its savings claim for Spectrum Mobile.”

All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. This press release shall not be used for advertising or promotional purposes.

About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses, and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.

About the National Advertising Division: The National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs provides independent self-regulation and dispute resolution services, guiding the truthfulness of advertising across the U.S. The National Advertising Division reviews national advertising in all media and its decisions set consistent standards for advertising truth and accuracy, delivering meaningful protection to consumers and leveling the playing field for business.

Contact:
Jennie Rosenberg
Media Relations
BBB National Programs
press@bbbnp.org