Prof. Scott Hamula recently chaired a panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appellate advertising law body of BBB National Programs, which determined that AT&T Services, Inc., properly supported certain comparative advertising claims for its fiber-optic internet service in one commercial and one internet video advertisement. However, it recommended that:
- AT&T discontinue three commercials which communicated the unsupported message that the upload speeds of cable services are inadequate to support videoconferencing.
- AT&T discontinue or modify one commercial which communicated unsupported claims that AT&T’s fiber service is superior to cable services for videoconferencing and reliability.
The advertising at issue had been challenged by Comcast Cable Communications, Inc. before the National Advertising Division (NAD). Following NAD’s decision (Case No. 6950), AT&T appealed all of NAD’s recommendations that it modify its claims.
AT&T stated that it “supports NARB’s self-regulatory process and will comply with the NARB’s decision,” however, the advertiser noted that it respectfully disagreed with NARB’s recommendation to discontinue or modify certain AT&T Fiber ads.
The National Advertising Review Board (NARB) is the appellate body for BBB National Programs’ advertising self-regulatory programs. NARB’s panel members include 85 distinguished volunteer professionals from the national advertising industry, agencies, and public members, such as academics and former members of the public sector. NARB serves as a layer of independent industry peer review that helps engender trust and compliance in NAD, CARU, and DSSRC matters.
