Toshiba’s Over the Top Laptop Lab Ad

This week’s installment is from Toshiba:

At the end of the list of fine print is the one to notice:

Considering there is no such thing as a professional medical test subject, Toshiba does not have to worry about lawsuits over this commercial. The FTC is not going to crack down on a deceptive use of a so called expert, when experts in the field obviously do not exist. Even the fine print is so small you can barely read it. Maybe they should have used the time and effort on better makeup and graphics.

Something Fishy About Gillette's New Ad

This week’s edition is from Gillette:

The fine print was in the beginning and hard to see:

They chummed the water! No wonder the sharks swarmed to the nicks of the shaver. In fact, they never actually show the sharks going after one cage over the other, which is just clever editing. Now if they were able to get a close shave while chumming this water, and hiding in this cage, I would be impressed. Oddly enough, they compare this razor to their own “leading disposable,” instead of against a competitor like Schick. Maybe Gillette was scared of the FTC and wanted to avoid losing their title of the official razor of Shark Week.

Crayola Bursting Kids' and Parents' Bubbles

Here is a new ad for Crayola’s Colored Bubble Launcher:

Looks fun, but there were two fine prints on this one:

Is there anything they say in this ad that is actually true? The FTC rules against false advertising especially to children, as explained in these two official releases. While Crayola is obviously aware of these laws, maybe they should improve their product instead of littering their spot with more fine print than a Viagra ad. While their intention is to get a kid to see the ad and want it, a wise parent purchasing it would see the fine print or read reviews. Too bad the Wall Street Journal already points this out while out-scooping me.

Thanks to reader Sarah Stone for the idea submission.

Prilosec’s Relief from Phony Athlete Spokesmen

Here is a medical ad with the atypical fine print:

Unlike the usual medical fine print about side effects that may include blindness, loss of limbs, or possible death, this one is a little different:

It’s pretty cool to have an actual customer be the spokesperson instead of an actor. The classic example of debunking this misleading tactic was the “I’m not only the president, but a client” ad for hair pieces back in the day. The only time you see a disclaimer about the spokesmen nowadays is if the person is giving a “personal” account or pretending to be an “expert” as in this Sharp TV Ad. Since the company would include the disclaimer themselves fearing a lawsuit, the FTC regulation on this disclaimer is murky, and would usually only step in if the viewing public’s safety was at risk over false claims. Therefore Prilosec and David Diehl are safe from any heartburn sufferers who feel they have been lead on. While athletes shilling products they may or may not use is nothing new, how about when they are hocking medicine? Where are the disclaimers when Shaq uses Icy Hot, Nolan Ryan pops some Advil, Troy Polamalu grows thicker hair from Head & Shoulders, or bears try to talk to Ray Lewis since he’s wearing Old Spice. Ugh, I have a closet full of Old Spice and Heads and Shoulders for nothing? Maybe that is why they had to add the disclaimer after Brett Favre pitched Prilosec years earlier.

Strongest Post-It Note Ever

Check out the cute kid using the Post-It Note:

Obviously, the sticky note cannot do that, hence the fine print:

3M actually has to note this in order to prevent being sued for false advertising or fined by the Federal Trade Commission. You would think that it is just common sense that a kid cannot be held up by a post-it note, but I am sure there are people working in the legal department at 3M and the FTC dedicated to those six words.

Thanks to reader Erryn Gallasch for the idea submission.