Scenario43
The Lightning Rod is a fishing rod being introduced by Castaway Sports. At a
preliminary meeting with its agency, the president of Castaway Sports mentions that the
rod can improve casting distance for an average individual by more than 20 percent.
The account executive asks if the president has data to support this, and the president
says “Yes.” The agency proceeds to produce a series of television spots featuring a
wellknown sports celebrity using the rod and rating it as excellent. The spots run on
network television and trumpet the improved casting distance that the rod provides. The
slogan of the spots is “Lightning RodThe Finest Rod Ever Cast.” After about a week, a
competitor questions whether the rods really offer the improved performance Castaway
Sports claims, and decides to file a complaint with the FTC.
The slogan for the spot, “Lightning RodThe Finest Rod Ever Cast,” would be
considered by U.S. courts to be:
a. a false and misleading statement, which needs to be retracted.
b. a superlative, which must be provable.
c. unethical, but not truly deceptive.
d. puffery, which doesn’t need to be proved or disproved.
When marketers are considering cause-related advertising, it should be stressed that this
type of advertising works best when a company:
a. needs to do damage control.
b. intends to increase its sales figures radically.
c. chooses an issue that connects with its business.
d. wants to create a buzz about an exciting new product.