When Verizon Thunderbolt's Wall Charger Is Not Enough?

Here is a new ad from Verizon for their new Thunderbolt phone:

The fine print was very early in the ad:

While “Do not attempt” is one of the most common fine prints in ads, this one is strange because who would even attempt this? What is he even attempting? Harnessing lightning? I would only trust Doc from Back to the Future to do that. I am actually more concerned about walking across rooftops with a ladder. I do not think Verizon has to worry about lawsuits from people walking across rooftops with long power cords in order to power their phone.

Thanks to reader Michael Mills for the idea submission.

3D TVs, Harmful to more than your Wallet?

This week’s edition is a 15 second spot from LG about their 3D TV:

Even though the spot is shorter than usual, the fine print might not be as obvious due to a white background:

Viewing 3D TV may cause discomfort? Isn’t watching TV supposed to be one of the most comfortable things you do next to sleeping? That’s like stating that this “food may not be tasty” or “mattress may be lumpy.” 3D TV and movies seem to be all the rage now and there are even ones without glasses. I was actually intrigued by them for a possible man cave years down the road, but maybe I could get a regular TV that does not give me a headache for half the price. While it makes sense to have this fine print in the terms of service online, as Philips and Sony have done, I am not sure it is necessary for a national TV spot, scaring off potential customers.

Taco Bell and Pop Tarts Advertise the Wrong Percentages

This week is a two part special from two different food products:

Technically there is no fine print during the Taco Bell ad, but the Pop Tart one relates to it:

12% signature recipe? Only 10% fruit? Gross! Why would they even advertise this? Granted, Taco Bell is running this campaign in reaction to a lawsuit claiming their beef is only 35% real. However, marketing to a nationwide audience that their beef is 12% weird ingredients is still not the best idea. Their website even tries to explain what the secret ingredients are in almost a power point presentation. As for Pop Tarts, what is the other 90%? Sugar? Goo? Their website also states the facts that it is dried fruit and the Post has a good article about it as well. Do people actually eat Taco Bell and Pop Tarts for their nutritional value? Of course Pop Tarts are just sugar and Taco Bell is not real meat, but that does not mean they should be advertising it.

Thanks to reader Sarah Stone for the idea submission.

Groupon's Expiring Ad Campaign

Among the most memorable commercials from the Super Bowl was from GroupOn:

While the discussion was about Timothy Hutton misleading the viewers about Tibet’s troubles, I of course noticed the fine print:

(If you can't read it, "Actual deal ended on 10/23/10")

While it is common to see expiration dates in the fine print, they are not usually three months expired. Oddly enough, people who know about GroupOn know that their deals are only for one day and in the city you signed up for, so the fine print is for people who actually wanted the deal at that restaurant. Maybe Groupon is just trying to avoid getting sued, oops, too late. At least Conan got some laughs out of it.