MISLEADING ADVERTS

Don’t believe in everything you hear in an advert. I’m sure you’ve heard that before, but sometimes hearing isn’t enough, you must see it. In advertising, there is a big difference between pushing the truth and making false claims. Many companies have exaggerated their products using the claims like ‘scientifically proven’ or ‘guaranteed results’. This may cost millions for these companies.

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1. Energy drink company Red Bull said it could give you wings. Many consumers brought the case against the Australian company. They said they had Red Bull for 10 years, but they hadn’t developed wings or had the physical ability to fly. The company settled the action by agreeing to pay $10 to every US consumer who bought the drink.

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2. Loreal’s telescopic mascara made the lashes up to %60 longer. The company produced mascara adverts featuring Penelope Cruz who promised ‘lashes could reach for the stars’, but the consumers suspected that she was wearing false lashes and complained about it. The company admitted that the TV adverts exaggerated the effect of the mascara by using false lashes.

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3. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen which claimed ‘Clean Diesel’ vehicles in their adverts. In 2015, it was exposed that Volkswagen had cheated emissions tests on its diesel cars in the US for many years. The company can pay up to $61 million for violating the Clean Air Act.