Tag: Nexis Newswire

McLean, VA – May 12, 2022 – The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of nonprofit BBB National Programs has found Roblox in violation of CARU Advertising Guidelines for responsible advertising to children under age 13. Roblox ranks as one of the top online entertainment platforms for audiences under the age of 18, with the largest demographic consisting of users 9 to 12 years old.

Roblox came to CARU’s attention through its routine monitoring of child-directed content. CARU determined that Roblox is a child-directed platform and is subject to CARU Guidelines. CARU’s inquiry concerned whether certain advertising to children present on the platform or disseminated by Roblox’s influencers was adequately disclosed as advertising.
 
CARU made the following findings and recommendations:
 

• Roblox did not adequately disclose to children when advertising is present within “experiences” on Roblox. CARU recommended that Roblox ensure that advertisements are clearly and conspicuously identified as ads in language and/or audio that children can see, hear, and easily understand.
• Roblox did not adequately disclose to children when content integrated into a video is advertising. CARU recommended that Roblox clearly and conspicuously disclose to children in language and/or audio that they can see, hear, and easily understand that the integrated content in the video is advertising.
• Roblox did not take adequate measures to ensure that social media influencers with child audiences adequately disclose material connections. CARU recommended that Roblox monitor their endorsers and influencers to ensure they are clearly and conspicuously disclosing their material connection to Roblox in a way that children can easily understand.

 
One of CARU’s concerns in this inquiry was whether Roblox provides adequate tools and guidance to developers, brands, and content creators to clearly and conspicuously disclose to children under the age of 13 when advertising is present in their games and experiences or when branded experiences within the platform are advertising.

During the investigation, Roblox informed CARU it had established new Advertising Standards for its platform, which will no longer allow advertising to children under 13. This policy will “require developers to programmatically identify advertising content in experiences to users under the age of 13,” and, according to Roblox, developers will have tools to code whether children will see nothing in place of an ad or see non-advertising content in place of the ad. This new policy will go into effect on June 15, 2023.

This new Roblox policy is not a result of a CARU recommendation. CARU helps companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children under age 13 from deceptive or inappropriate advertising.

Once the new Roblox Ad Standards policy goes into effect, the advertising practices outlined above, apart from the endorser and influencer practices, will no longer be at issue. CARU will continue to monitor the platform to ensure compliance with CARU Advertising Guidelines once the new policy is implemented.

CARU recommends that Roblox establish and implement a monitoring process to enforce its new advertising policy and community standards.

Endorsers & Influencers

Roblox informed CARU that the policy change does not apply to the Roblox Video Stars Program members’ social media content that takes place off the Roblox platform, such as on YouTube or Twitch.

CARU found that social media influencers in Roblox’s Influencer Program who had large child audiences did not clearly and conspicuously disclose their material connection to Roblox in their videos in a way children can understand, and that influencers in the Video Stars Program who promoted their unique Star Code did not clearly and conspicuously disclose, in a way children can understand, that they will receive a commission when Robux (Roblox currency) are purchased.

Additionally, CARU found that there was a lack of guidance and tools for Roblox “Video Stars” social media influencers as to how to disclose their material connection clearly and conspicuously to child audiences.

During the investigation, Roblox provided CARU with the Influencer Monitoring Program agreement. The Monitoring Program requires Roblox team members to periodically and randomly check the posts of influencer participants to ensure compliance with platform rules and policies and the FTC Endorsement Guides.

CARU found that Roblox’s guidance to its influencers regarding disclosure requirements did not specifically address how to make adequate disclosures to children. While CARU noted that several influencers are compliant with all guidelines, CARU also observed some influencer videos where the disclosures were either partially compliant or entirely non-compliant with CARU Guidelines on making disclosures understandable to children.
 
As a result, CARU recommended that:
 

• The Roblox Video Stars Program and Monitoring Program be modified to provide influencers with additional guidance and examples of clear and conspicuous disclosures for children to understand the material connection between Roblox and the influencer and that influencers get paid when using the Roblox Star Code.
• Roblox increase monitoring efforts to uphold and enforce its Roblox Video Stars Program Rules, CARU Ad Guidelines, industry best practices, and other applicable rules and regulations.

 
Children’s Privacy Issues

In CARU’s inquiry letter to Roblox, CARU raised privacy concerns in addition to the advertising concerns addressed in this decision. CARU is working directly with Roblox’s COPPA Safe Harbor to address these issues accordingly.

In the opening to its advertiser’s statement, Roblox pointed out that the company “has made policy changes regarding child-directed advertising that render many aspects of the Decision moot.” Roblox later indicated that it disagrees with “some of the recommendations and statements made in the decision.” However, Roblox agreed to “comply with CARU’s recommendations regarding influencers and ask that our influencers with child-directed content use the word ‘paid’ in their disclosures,” adding: “We also appreciate the acknowledgment that Roblox has an influencer monitoring program that spots issues and has them corrected. Finally, we will continue to improve our platform to support the needs of users of all ages.”

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.

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 Children’s Advertising Review Unit: The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), a division of BBB National Programs and the nation’s first Safe Harbor Program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), helps companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children from deceptive or inappropriate advertising and ensure that, in an online environment, children’s data is collected and handled responsibly. When advertising or data collection practices are misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with laws and guidelines, CARU seeks change through the voluntary cooperation of companies and where relevant, enforcement action.

• Four eateries – three in Tampa – earn one MICHELIN Star for first time
• 19 total restaurants in Miami, Orlando and Tampa earn MICHELIN Stars
• Honors also include 33 Bib Gourmand, four special awards
• 144 restaurants, 38 cuisine types make up Florida’s 2023 selection

 

MIAMI, May 11, 2023 — Four restaurants joined the exclusive group of MICHELIN-Starred eateries in Florida, as the 2023 edition of the MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa was announced Thursday night at LoanDepot Park.

In all, the anonymous MICHELIN Guide inspectors awarded Stars to 19 restaurants, with L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Miami remaining atop that list with two MICHELIN Stars. The 2023 selection comprises 144 restaurants and 38 types of cuisine, which customers will enjoy discovering.

“Florida has three distinct culinary hotspots that make the state a premier destination for gourmet-travelers, who can experience a wealth of flavors and creative cooking styles,” said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides. “We are especially happy to announce three one-MICHELIN-Star restaurants in Tampa – Koya, Lilac and Rocca – and a new one-Star restaurant in Miami Beach: Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt. Congratulations to these restaurant teams and to all who received Guide distinctions. Your guests are always in for a treat.”

Here are the new MICHELIN-Starred restaurants, with inspector notes from each (inspectors’ comments in full on the MICHELIN Guide website and mobile app):

Koya (Tampa, Japanese cuisine)

Adriana and Eric Fralick keep a watchful eye over the experience at this intimate eight-seat counter, where a multicourse contemporary tasting menu shares a singular interpretation of Japanese cuisine. The dishes are often unexpected yet always thoughtful. Spectacular seafood is a given: staple luxuries like bluefin tuna and uni are flown in weekly from Kagoshima market, where the team has a personal buyer. Instead of the typical parade of nigiri, dishes offer unique combinations of Eastern and Western culinary sensibilities, as in the beet- and vodka-smoked salmon macaroon or a chutoro hand roll with wasabi guacamole. The meal ends memorably with desserts like yuzu ice cream topped with Hokkaido uni and a sprinkling of caviar with lime zest.

Lilac (Tampa, Contemporary cuisine)

Situated in the sleek and oh-so-stylish Edition hotel, this concept from John Fraser is a popular spot with in-demand reservations. The small space has a sexy vibe, albeit not a stitch of lilac in sight. Peruse the contemporary four-course prix-fixe with Mediterranean influences, Florida-focused ingredients and French techniques. A meal might include luxe bites like a Diver scallop infused with rosemary smoke and dramatically served under a cloche to well-execute and flavorful lobster feuillantine. Main dishes include Ora King salmon with a Florida stone crab salad or Colorado lamb chop with tender leeks and house-made lamb sausage. Cocktails and wine are on offer, but Lilac has upped the ante when it comes to tableside service with a champagne cocktail cart. (Yes, please!)

Rocca (Tampa, Italian cuisine)         

Chef Bryce Bonsack blends his New York know-how with Italian training to great effect in this of-the-moment eatery. Naturally, there’s an assortment of pastas, skillfully made in house and showcasing classic flavors and scrupulous technique, as in spaghetti al limone, tossed with knobs of blue crab and lemon, shaved garlic and zucchini. Guests gush over mozzarella hand-pulled to order in a tableside cart, but the flavor outshines the show. Perhaps most exciting of all are the displays of originality, as in a vibrant hiramasa carpaccio with green apple, capers and horseradish; and dessert is a delightful bookend to an impressive meal. Basil custard topped with an elegant brunoise of fresh apples and a layer of streusel is spot-on in every way.

Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt (Miami Beach, Contemporary cuisine)
Inside the Carillon Miami Wellness Resort on a rather calm stretch of Collins Avenue, find this ambitious dining bijou helmed by Chef Tristan Brandt and his trusted lieutenant Timo Steubing. The duo delivers a colorful, multicourse tasting grounded in French cuisine with notable Asian inspiration. The results are anything but timid: Expect rich, bold sauces and foams made with the likes of parmesan, lobster and saffron, and ginger turbocharging everything from tomatoes to scallops to wagyu. By contrast, the space itself is fairly spartan, sequestered off to the side of the main hotel bar and defined mostly by oversized oak tables, blue leather chairs and modern light fixtures. Swing for the second seating of the evening for a longer menu.

Bib Gourmand

The MICHELIN Guide inspectors found 33 restaurants worthy of the Bib Gourmand distinction, which recognizes great food at a great value. These are restaurants where one can have two courses and a glass of wine or dessert for about $50. There were 18 in the Miami area, 11 in the Orlando area and four in the Tampa area.

Special Awards

In addition to the Bib Gourmand and Stars awards, the Guide announced four special awards:

 

The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony is presented with the support of Capital One. Transportation provided by Lucid Motors.

Hotels

The full restaurant selection for Miami, Orlando, and Tampa will join the MICHELIN Guide selection of hotels, which features the most unique and exciting places to stay in Florida and throughout the world.

Every hotel in the Guide is chosen for its extraordinary style, service, and personality — with options for all budgets — and each hotel can be booked directly through the MICHELIN Guide website and app. The selection for Florida features the state’s most spectacular hotels, including sustainability pioneers like the Hotel Greystone, standouts from our “Plus” collection like the Esmé and Mondrian hotels in Miami, nightlife hotspots like the Goodtime Hotel, cutting-edge luxury designs like the Tampa EDITION, and even hotels with MICHELIN Guide restaurants, like Faena Miami Beach.

The MICHELIN Guide is a benchmark in gastronomy. Now it’s setting a new standard for hotels. Visit the MICHELIN Guide website, or download the free app for iOS and Android, to discover every restaurant in the selection and book an unforgettable hotel.

The MICHELIN Guide Miami, Orlando and Tampa Selection

 

2023 Starred Establishments

 

About Michelin North America, Inc.

Michelin, the leading mobility company, is working with tires, around tires and beyond tires to enable Motion for Life. Dedicated to enhancing its clients’ mobility and sustainability, Michelin designs and distributes the most suitable tires, services and solutions for its customers’ needs. Michelin provides digital services, maps and guides to help enrich travel and make them unique experiences. Bringing its expertise to new markets, the company is investing in high-technology materials, 3D printing and hydrogen, to serve a wide variety of industries—from aerospace to biotech. Headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, Michelin North America has approximately 23,000 employees and operates 34 production facilities in the United States and Canada. (michelinman.com)

About Capital One
At Capital One we’re on a mission for our customers – bringing them best-in-class products, rewards, service, and experiences. Capital One is a diversified bank that offers products and services to individuals, small businesses and commercial clients. We use technology, innovation, and interaction to provide consumers with products and services to meet their needs. Through Capital One Dining and Capital One Entertainment, we provide our rewards cardholders with access to unforgettable experiences in the areas they’re passionate about, including dining, music and sports. Learn more at capitalone.com/dining and capitalone.com/entertainment.

 

For more information, contact:

Andrew Festa
Michelin North America
andrew.festa@michelin.com

Devon Gunn
Capital One
devon.gunn@capitalone.com
Phone: 571-308-4762

New York, NY – April 27, 2023 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs has referred advertising claims made by ViiV Healthcare Company for its DOVATO^® single-tablet HIV treatment medication to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) after the company informed NAD that it would not participate in the NAD self-regulatory process with respect to the challenged claims.

ViiV’s claims about its DOVATO medication, which appeared in multichannel advertising, were challenged by Gilead Sciences, Inc., manufacturer of Biktarvy^®, a competing HIV medication.

Gilead challenged express and implied health-related claims that DOVATO is superior to Biktarvy because it contains less medicine, does not contain tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), and is less likely to adversely impact patients’ renal, lipid, and weight profiles.

ViiV did not submit a substantive response, but instead informed NAD that it would not participate in NAD’s self-regulatory process because it believes FDA is best positioned to assess the appropriateness of these prescription drug claims.

NAD frequently reviews advertising claims for FDA-regulated products, including pharmaceuticals.

Considering ViiV’s decision to not participate in the NAD self-regulatory process, NAD has referred the matter to the FDA and FTC for review and possible enforcement action.

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.

 

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.

New York, NY – April 27, 2023 – The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that certain “no hair wrap” claims made by SharkNinja Operating, LLC for its Shark Stratos Powered Lift-Away upright vacuum were supported. However, NAD recommended that Shark discontinue or modify other claims for the Stratos vacuum related to its superior hair pick-up ability, odor neutralizing technology, and superior suction.

These claims, which appear in Shark’s 30-minute infomercial for the Stratos vacuum, were challenged by Dyson, Inc., maker of competing vacuum cleaners.

“No Hair Wrap” Claims

NAD determined that the infomercial’s “no hair wrap” claims reasonably convey the message that the Stratos vacuum can pick up pet hair and long hair during typical cleaning activity on carpet or hard floors. NAD concluded that Shark’s testing provided a reasonable basis for the “no hair wrap” claims and the claim that “Shark Stratos self-cleaning brushroll technology removes hair from the brush while you clean, preventing hair wrap,” when accompanied by a disclosure of the runtime of the vacuums used in the turnover demonstrations (a modification the advertiser agreed voluntarily to make).

Best Hair Pick-up Claims

NAD concluded that Shark’s testing was not a good fit to support the broad, category-wide superiority message conveyed by its informercial claims to have the “best hair pick-up of any vacuum.” In so finding, NAD noted that Shark did not produce comparative testing against 85% of the relevant marketplace and that the methodology of its laboratory testing was too limited.

Therefore, NAD recommended Shark modify its advertising to avoid conveying the unsupported messages that the Stratos offers:

• “The best hair pick-up of any vacuum,”
• “The best hair pick-up of any upright vacuum in America,” and
• “The most hair pick-up from floor to dust cup of any vacuum in America.”

Odor Neutralizing Claims

NAD determined that Shark’s infomercial reasonably conveys the message the Stratos vacuum is able to neutralize and eliminate malodor because the infomercial combines express claims that the odor technology interacts with odor-causing particles and transforms the bad odors into fresh-smelling air, with images of odor molecules being destroyed.

Further, NAD found that Shark’s “smell test” communicates the message that the Shark Stratos vacuum reduces odors and emits a pleasant smell that consumers prefer to that of the Dyson or Bissell vacuums when vacuuming up smelly objects in the home.

However, because Shark did not provide evidence to support an odor elimination message, NAD recommended that it discontinue advertising that conveys a message of odor elimination including animated depictions of the product eliminating green malodor particles and the claim, “Shark solves [the problem of vacuum odor] with a new and unique breakthrough odor neutralizer technology. This technology interacts with odor-causing particles and transforms the bad odors into fresh-smelling air.”

Regarding Shark’s claims of odor reduction, pleasant smell, and comparative odor reduction, NAD concluded that while Shark’s testing shows a perceptible reduction in malodor for the Shark Stratos vacuum, the evidence did not support the odor reduction messages conveyed in the infomercial.

Therefore, NAD recommended that these claims be discontinued or, in the alternative, that Shark modify the claims to reflect the supported message that the Shark Stratos’s odor neutralization technology reduces malodor.

Superior Suction Claims

NAD found that one message reasonably conveyed by the “ultimate suction challenge” in the infomercial is that Stratos has superior suction for cleaning floor surfaces, a message that was not supported.

Therefore, NAD recommended Shark discontinue the implied claim that the Stratos’s superior suction power translates into superior floor cleaning performance.

In its advertiser statement, Shark stated that it will appeal a portion of NAD’s decision because it “believes that NAD’s analysis of the odor claims was inconsistent with self-regulatory precedent and that NAD overreached by finding that the video communicated a preference claim and an odor elimination message.” Shark added that it is also appealing NAD’s recommendation to discontinue the claim that the Shark Stratos has “the best hair pickup of any upright vacuum in America.”

Appeals of NAD decisions are made to BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate-level truth-in-advertising body of BBB National Programs.

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.

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.

Wellbeing Farms Expands Delta 88 Kiosk to Pennsylvania and Receives First Purchase Order for Chicago Market.

 

CALIFORNIA, Newport Beach, April 26, 2023, Galexxy Holdings Inc., (“Galexxy”) (OTC: GXXY), a health and wellness company on a mission to bring unique and effective health and wellness products to market, and its subsidiary, Wellbeing Farms LLC, (“WBF”) are pleased to update shareholders on major company milestones over the last several months.

WBF expands Delta 88 Kiosk Distribution to Pennsylvania:

WBF is expanding the distribution of its Smart Vending Kiosks through its Commercial Supply and Leasing agreement with Delta 88 LLC (D88) into Pennsylvania. D88 launched its marketing campaign in Austin Texas in Q1-23 and has signed additional leases to expand its reach into 6 key locations to market its products in Pennsylvania.

WBF customized Smart Kiosks are very distinctive, featuring digital product displays to maximize product appeal are equipped with WBF’s App based ID-Age verification capability to comply with state regulations.

D88’s business plan calls for placement of hundreds of attractively branded Smart Vending Kiosks supplied by WBF under lease agreements. D88’s products are also supplied by WBF under an exclusive white label agreement.

Based on their initial estimates, D88 is planning to install over six hundred Smart Kiosks in the next 2 years which could potentially generate a minimum of $5,000,000 per year in wholesale product purchases from WBF.

WBF Chicago Update:

WBF also received its initial product order from its Chicago distributor, who signed a Definitive Distribution agreement in December 2022 for product supply and the lease of 40 Smart Vending Kiosks, which are currently being placed in selected consumer traffic locations.

Galexxy Audit Update and Plan for OTC QX Up-listing:

Galexxy’s CEO, Michael Biagi stated that “WBF has commenced its end of year Audit and in addition to its intention to up-list onto OTC QX, the Company has several very promising new programs in its business development pipeline and I look forward to keeping shareholders updated as these programs come to fruition.”

About Galexxy Holdings:

Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Galexxy’s shares are quoted on the OTC Markets (OTC: GXXY). Galexxy entered the rapidly developing markets for premium natural plant-based consumer health supplement products in April 2021 and completed its acquisition of Wellbeing Farms LLC., on August 4, 2022, and purchased 69% of ABC Wholesale Products LLC., on August 12, 2022.

Galexxy Holdings Inc.

Michael Biagi

E: Michael@galexxyholdings.com

M: (949) 335 8269

Forward-Looking Information:

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” (collectively, “statements”). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this press release.

https://wellbeingfarmsmushrooms.com/

www.galexxyholdings.com

https://twitter.com/GXXYHoldings

www.delta88.vip

www.uvending.vip