Fed. Trade Comm'n, Statement in Regard to Advertisements That Appear in Feature Article Format (Nov. 28, 1967)
Washington, D.C. 20580
OFFICE OF INFORMATION 393-6800 Ext. 197
For RELEASE: IMMEDIATE, Tuesday, November 28, 1967
Statement in Regard to Advertisements
That Appear in Feature Article Format
The Commission has recently considered the publication by various print media of advertisements that use the format and have the appearance of news or feature articles. Generally the caption "ADV." or "ADVERTISEMENT" appears at the top of such advertisements, but sometimes it is omitted. The Commission is concerned that omission of the caption "ADVERTISEMENT" may cause readers to believe that the advertisement is in fact a feature or news article. The Commission also wishes to point out that in some instances the format of the advertisement may so exactly duplicate a news or feature article as to render the caption "ADVERTISEMENT" meaningless and incapable of curing the deception.
The Commission believes that it is in the public interest that publishers and advertisers avoid any possible deception by not placing advertisements whose format simulates that of a news or feature article. Inclusion in such an advertisement of a by-line, particularly when accompanied by the writer's title (such as "feature writer" or "editor"), may also mislead readers as to its nature. Accordingly, the Commission cautions advertisers to avoid use of such devices in their advertisements, when they may tend to mislead readers.
Where an advertisement may have a general resemblance to the format of a news or feature article, advertisers and publishers should print, in clear type of sufficiently large size to be readily noticed, the word "ADVERTISEMENT" in close proximity to the advertisement. Also, to avoid deception when an advertisement or an advertising section of this nature intends for more than one page, the word "ADVERTISEMENT" should be repeated on each page.