Promo - March 2008 - (Page 11)

The Players nent of either; that claims not overstate an environmental attribute or benefit, expressly or by implication; and that marketers present comparative claims in a manner that makes the basis for the comparison sufficiently clear to avoid consumer deception.” As with any type of advertising claim, the marketer must also have a reasonable basis through objective and verifiable evidence to support its express and implied claims to meet the FTC’s requirement of substantiation. that “This product has no air polluting potential and is 100% biodegradable.” While the FTC may end up establishing specific regulatory guidelines for the types of eco-marketing claims that did not exist 10 years ago, it need only apply the same standards it currently applies to general environmental claims. New terms and technologies will continuously emerge. Consumers will be protected if explanatory qualification statements follow such claims and references. Pending the FTC review of these issues later this year, both the current Green Guides and application of best practices in advertising and marketing generally provide guidance on how to work environmental claims into marketing campaigns that are not unfair or deceptive, as applied under the FTC Act. With the increase in public concern about global warming and the environment, and the call by many environmental groups for people to support only eco-friendly companies and to take efforts to reduce their own carbon footprint, eco-marketing will no doubt continue to expand. Time will tell if 2008 will bring material changes to, or increases in, FTC regulation in this area. However, it is reasonable to expect that suspect environmental claims are likely to continue to meet regulatory scrutiny and care should be taken when advertisers Alan L. Friel is a lawyer with the Los Angeles office of Kaye Scholer LLP, which advises clients in the advertising and media industries. He can be reached at AFriel@Kayescholer.com or 310-788-1052. develop such campaigns that they have substantiation for their claims and that both express and implied claims are conveyed in manner that is not likely to result in consumer confusion. l P CAMPAIGN INDEX THE LEGO GROUP Global Building Contest The Lego Group this month is launching a global contest to search for the best child Lego builder to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Winners from each designated country will meet in Billund, Denmark, the company’s hometown, to compete in an ultimate building event. The contest is open to children six to 13 in the U.S. Details are available at www. Lego.com/Club. Agency: in-house PRINCESS CRUISES Philips Lighting Co. launched a new light bulb in 2007, called Energy Saver , to reduce energy output. The company used its sponsorship of Live Earth, a global music event designed to raise awareness of the climate crisis, to offer free samples and demonstrate the product. Romance Video Contest Princess Cruises is out with a video contest searching for romantics at heart. People can submit videos no longer than three minutes describing why they are the ultimate romantic to www.princess.com/romance through March 20 for a shot at earning the title “The Greatest Romantic.” Entries from five finalists will be posted on the site from April 1-14 for public voting. The top vote-getter will win a seven-day cruise for two to Mexico or the Caribbean, including airfare. The winner will also be featured in a podcast sharing his or her story and offering romance advice. Agency: Blitz ADPACK USA General environmental claims will be more difficult than specific claims to substantiate and are more likely to be deemed to be deceptive. Accordingly, the FTC advises that general green claims such as “eco-friendly” be accompanied by clear, conspicuous and understandable qualifications that explain an objective basis for a claim that can be substantiated. For example, an “environmentally preferable” assertion should be further qualified with a statement Tissue Tactics Contest AdPack USA, an out of home marketing company, is challenging agencies in a new contest to devise the best design for tissue packs. Companies can submit entries to www.adpackusa.com through March 31. Each entry must include creative details of the tissue pack design and distribution strategies. Bonus points will be given to those who include a direct mail component in their submission. The top winner will receive $6,000. Agency: in-house Promo / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / March 2008 11 http://www.Lego.com/Club http://www.Lego.com/Club http://www.princess.com/romance http://www.adpackusa.com http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - March 2008

Promo - March 2008 Editor's Note Girls' Club New Eco Regs? They're Not Going Anywhere Spreads Easily RFID Ramp-Up From Backyard to Broadcast Commentary VROOOM! Stuff We Can't Do Here Yet Q&A: Measuring Up Free Ink The Agency Center Resource Center Promotions 2.0 Index of Advertisers

Promo - March 2008

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