Posts Tagged: "influencers"

Spilling the ‘Detox Tea’: Are We About to See More FTC Action on Social Media Influencer Advertising?

In a recent letter, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against makers of “detox teas” for engaging in “predatory” and misleading marketing tactics on social media platforms, targeting primarily young adults (and young women in particular). Taking aim at the Instagram idol Kim Kardashian, Senator Blumenthal pointed out that influencers earn up to “six figure sums” for a single social media post promoting detox tea products without any expectation that the endorsers personally use the products and expose themselves to the alleged health risks associated with the teas.    

Warner Bros. settles FTC charges over deceptive YouTube influencer campaign marketing of video game

The FTC filed a complaint against Warner Bros. for violating provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act by making payments to prominent members of YouTube for positive reviews of its video game without publicly disclosing those payments. The FTC focused on the activities of an advertising agency known as Plaid Social Labs which was contracted by Warner Bros. in 2014 to coordinate a YouTube influencer campaign which marketed Shadow of Mordor. The FTC complaint listed two counts against Warner Bros., specifically one count for false claims of independent reviews and another count for deceptive failure to disclose material connection between endorsers and sellers.