Tag: Health claims
A Report From Affiliate Summit East, 2013
Since 2003, online marketers and merchants have been gathering twice a year to take part in the Affiliate Summit Conferences. In recent years, Ifrah Law has become a fixture at these shows, and our associate Rachel Hirsch is not only widely recognized as the face of the Ifrah Law Power Booth station, but also as… Read More
In Time for Bikini Season, Kardashians Face Lawsuit Over Endorsement of Diet Aids
Kim Kardashian, the reality star, is accustomed to the public eye, but now she faces a lawsuit that may not bring her good publicity at all. Along with her sisters Khloe and Kourtney, Kim has been named as a defendant earlier this year in a class action over QuickTrim, a dietary supplement that they have… Read More
Why POM Wonderful Can Celebrate FTC Judge’s Ruling in Advertising Case
Pomegranate juice maker POM Wonderful has declared victory against the FTC . . . in spite of an administrative law judge’s ruling that upholds many claims in the agency’s complaint. But the California company has good reason to celebrate: certain FTC standards, the ones that POM cried foul on, were rejected by the court. The… Read More
In Nutella Advertising Case, Whom Is the System Protecting?
The world is full of surprises, like the fact that Nutella chocolate spread is loaded with saturated fat and sugar and is not itself healthy. Ferrero USA, Inc., the company that makes Nutella, learned the hard way that many American parents could not survive (nor perhaps could their children) without the aid and intervention of… Read More
FTC Enlists Surprising Watchdogs to Police Marketers’ Practices
The FTC is building up its army of watchdogs to police online marketing content and practices. Who those watchdogs are – and their relationship to the industry – might surprise you. Earlier this month, the agency entered into a settlement agreement with Central Coast Nutraceuticals, an Internet marketer of weight-loss and health products. The agreement… Read More
HCG Marketers Face Hot Pursuit by FDA, FTC
Putting a snag in New Year’s resolutions for pound-shedding, the FDA and the FTC recently sent out warning letters to several companies that sell HCG-based diet products online. (These companies include Nutri-Fusion Systems LLC, Natural Medical Supply, HCG Platinum, LLC, theoriginalhcgdrops.com, HCG Diet Direct, LLC, and Hcg-miracleweightloss.com.) The warning letters, which came at the outset… Read More
Is It a Real Breast Cancer Cause – Or ‘Pinkwashing’?
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. And pink is everywhere – all over the shelves of retail stores like Wal-Mart and adorning the backs of NFL linemen. We’ve been trained to know that the color pink represents a supporter of breast cancer awareness or research. So sporting a pink ribbon, jersey, or band should demonstrate… Read More
Google Agrees to Forfeit $500 Million: What Does This Mean for Affiliate Marketers?
In an unusual and little-noticed recent settlement, Google Inc. has agreed to pay a forfeiture of $500 million because it permitted Canadian pharmacies to advertise to United States consumers on its site using Google AdWords, resulting in the illegal sale of prescription drugs through online channels into the United States between 2003 and 2009. The… Read More
‘Tiny Belly’ Ads Conceal Large Credit-Card Scheme
The companies behind the ubiquitous “1 Tip for a Tiny Belly” ads are the most recent targets of a new FTC crackdown on online weight-loss ads that have conned millions of people. The ad seems innocent enough; it promises “1 Tip” to a svelte stomach. But this ad is actually the tip of something much… Read More
FTC Advertising Crackdown Provides Food for Thought
The Federal Trade Commission has been clamping down on several major food companies regarding health claims in their advertising. Iovate Health Sciences USA and Nestle S.A. subsidiary, Nestle Healthcare Nutrition, Inc., were the first to come under FTC fire, both entering into settlement agreements last summer. Dannon Company, Inc. and POM Wonderful LLC were next. … Read More
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