Celebrities and consumers making incredible-sounding claims in ads may soon get new scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission.

The FTC, which some say has gotten more combative of late, is considering tightening the rules, which could affect everything from celebs’ claims about brands on talk shows to fact-checking assertions of weight loss in ads. After the review period ends, the FTC will deliberate for weeks, or likely months, and then possibly issue new guidelines. The current guidelines broadly state that endorsements must reflect the “honest opinions” of the endorser and may not be in any way deceptive. If the endorser’s results with a product are not typical there must be a “clear and conspicuous disclosure.”

The FTC’s crackdown on weight-loss marketers, which resulted in a $25 million settlement from TrimSpa and Bayer Corp, among others, is seen as another sign of a more pugnacious FTC. Nevertheless, a ruling on the issue could affect many. For instance, weight-loss brand Nutri-System is running a TV campaign featuring former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino and former coach Don Shula. Marino claims he lost 22 pounds on the diet and Shula claims 32. The ads say, “Results not typical,” but it is difficult for viewers to figure out what “typical” would actually be. The only purchasable guarantee weight loss (besides exercise equipment and gym fees) is liposuction. Other than that, don’t eat crap and work out!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 4th, 2007 at 3:36 pm and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.