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! 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 03:00 – Goose Creek vs. Bath & Body Works: “Harmful chemicals” claims 05:00 – Genexa vs. Johnson & Johnson: Ingredient comparisons gone wrong 09:50 – Vrbo vs. Airbnb: “Host-free” campaign and implied disparagement 11:00 – Tempur-Pedic vs. Sleep Number: “Air mattress” claims 18:00 – Blue Buffalo vs. Mars Petcare: Comparative claims and consumer perception 21:30 – Key Takeaways: Humor isn’t a defense, keep it narrow, expect challenges 22:10 – Closing & Season Wrap The post In Your Face – Where do you draw the line with denigration? appeared first on BBB National Programs.