[The Federal Trade Commission announced several updates to the FTC Act regarding endorsements, the latest update since 1980. These updates outline to advertisers how to keep their endorsement and testimonial ads in line with the FTC Act. Here’s a quick summary of these updates:
- Endorsement update””advertising that features a consumer and conveys an experience with a product or service that is not typical will be required to clearly disclose the results that consumers can generally expect. Previously, advertisers were allowed to describe unusual results in a testimonial so long as there was the “results not typical” disclaimer.
- Bloggers””the update outlines that the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Because of this, bloggers who make endorsements must disclose the material connection they share with the sell of the product or service.
- Celebrities””the latest FTC revisions specify that celebrities must disclose their relationships with advertisers when making endorsements in media outside traditional advertising. The examples the FTC gives are talk shows or social media.
For more information on the Guide update, visit www.ftc.gov.
