The wireless business in the U.S. is so competitive that if you try to sneak something into an advertisement that might not be 100% verifiable, one of your rivals will swiftly take matters up with the National Advertising Division (NAD) industry watchdog. The NAD’s job is to ensure that national ads are truthful and accurate. Recently T-Mobile spilled the beans on Verizon over the latter’s ads mentioning its satellite texting service and the size of its network.
The NAD decided that some of Verizon‘s claims were supported but also recommended that the rest of the ads be made clearer so consumers can understand what Verizon is trying to say. For example, the NAD says that Verizon‘s “conquering dead zones with satellite” commercials aren’t misleading but the carrier should have pointed out that the feature works only on select new phone models and under certain conditions.
T-Mobile also took umbrage with Verizon calling itself “America’s largest network.” That claim is legit if Verizon is talking about the number of postpaid subscribers. However, T-Mobile fears that some viewing the ad might think that it refers to the geographic reach of Verizon‘s network or its coverage area. The NAD recommended that Verizon clarify what it means by “largest.”
In a press release, the NAD wrote that Verizon‘s use of the phrase “largest network” was ambiguous as it portrayed different things to different consumers. The NAD also said that it might not be clear to viewers of the ad that the term “postpaid phone connections” refers to Verizon subscribers. Last year T-Mobile ignored the infamous “snitches get stitches” saying and complained to the NAD about claims made by Verizon in other commercials.
The NAD last year asked Verizon to discontinue or modify its ads related to its satellite texting service due to the complaint filed by T-Mobile. Verizon says that it will comply with the new recommendations made by the NAD which is a typical response from a company accused of misleading the public with its television spots.
While the NAD does not have the legal heft to impose fines or get companies to change their ads, most firms will listen to its recommendations due to the fear that the case could be referred to the FCC.
