I suggest it’s time to ban fine print in television advertising. Have you ever tried to read the fine print in advertising? It can be hilarious or terrifying. Thanks to the DVR, reading the fine print is easier to do. One of my favorite ads is a Penn and Teller ad for Las Vegas. The fine print says, ” Golf balls belong on the golf course, not in your mouth. Do not attempt!”
Seriously? Are we all idiots? Don’t answer that!
Watch ads carefully and you’ll see many new cars that have fine print reminding you to not attempt whatever maneuver is depicted in the ad. Do the auto gymnastics actually entice people to buy a particular car while the fine print warns them off trying to recreate it? Am I the only person who thinks this makes no sense?
If the Fine Print is Important, It Should be Readable!
If the fine print is worth reading, then it shouldn’t be fine print — make it noticeable, otherwise, get rid of it. For example, one especially annoying use of fine print is in new car special commercials. The ad tells you that you can get an amazing car for no money down, 0% interest, take 10 years to pay, get the car delivered to your door and more, but if you read the fine print, you’ll find that there is only one particular car available at that price, the car is purple, and the actual price you’ll pay is twice the MSRP thanks to all the deals. Sure, I exaggerate, but it’s nearly that bad.
The problem is that there is plenty of deceptive advertising to go around in all forms (internet, print, radio, tv, direct mail), and the condoned use of fine print makes it harder to separate the good from the bad. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regularly warns or prosecutes companies that engage in deceptive ads, but these actions don’t get any press unless there’s the loss of life. TruthInAdvertising.org is the definitive source for news about deceptive advertising and worth following if you’re interested in pursuing the truth.
What You Can’t Read Can be Dangerous and Costly!
The products that are most worrisome are prescription drugs and supplements. While the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) does attempt to control prescription drug advertising, it doesn’t pre-approve ads and is not staffed to be able to pursue all infractions. Supplements are even more insidious since they are untested and unregulated. Personally, I’d like all drug advertising banned from TV — partly because I’m tired of being reminded of all the illnesses I’ve yet to contract, and partly because the ads ruin family television time. Watch a daytime major league baseball game and you will get your fill of erectile dysfunction commercials. A 2016 Harvard School of Public Health survey showed that nearly 60% of Americans would like drug advertising removed from television. By the way, only the U.S. and New Zealand allow direct to consumer prescription drug advertising.
Life is complicated! It’s time to simplify! Right, that’s the point of this blog! So, assuming that the FTC and FDA aren’t going to get a surge of money or a larger set of balls, what can you do? Complain! Yes, take advantage of your tax dollars and file complaints with these agencies when you see something squirrely. The FDA runs the Bad Ad program and the FTC has the Complaint Assistant. If you’ve had enough and want to go back to just enjoying beer and bra ads, then use your power and complain. And be sure to comment on this post and let me know what drives you batty.
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