In Your Face – Where do you draw the line with denigration?

It is common for advertisers to engage in a little healthy competition, directly comparing their products to a competitor’s to inform consumers about the differences between them. But what happens when things get mean? It crosses the line when denigrating claims are false.

The National Advertising Division’s (NAD) mission is to ensure that consumers are getting accurate advertising, to enhance trust in the marketplace. In this final episode of the season, hosts Annie and Eric discuss denigrating claims cases that have come before NAD and how our advertising lawyers break down when a line has been crossed.

Tune in to learn practical lessons for advertisers, lawyers, and marketing teams navigating competitor claims.

Related Resources:
2025 NAD Annual Conference - register now: https://bbbprograms.swoogo.com/NAD2025
Goose Creek Candles “Bath, Body & Home”
Genexa Kids Pain Medicine
Molson Coors “Tastes Like Water”
Welch’s Fruit Snacks
Vrbo Host-Free Claims
Tempur-Pedic Flimsy Mattresses
Dollar Shave Club Parity
AT&T’s DirectTV
Blue Buffalo Competing Pet Foods

Chapters
00:00 – Intro & NAD Conference Reminder
02:00 – Defining Denigrating Advertising
03:20 – Goose Creek vs. Bath & Body Works: “Harmful chemicals” claims
05:43 – Genexa vs. Johnson & Johnson: Ingredient comparisons gone wrong
07:21 – Miller Lite: "Lite beer shouldn't taste like water"
08:29 – Fruit Snacks
10:29 – Vrbo vs. Airbnb: “Host-free” campaign and implied disparagement
12:02 – Tempur-Pedic vs. Sleep Number: “Air mattress” claims
18:36 – Blue Buffalo vs. Mars Petcare: Comparative claims and consumer perception
21:30 – Key Takeaways, Closing