‘Today’ Guest ‘Safety Mom’ Was Really a Paid Endorser, Government Says
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It’s a tried-and-true segment for the morning talk show circuit — an expert reviews and recommends a series of products, playfully chatting with the hosts along the way. The problem arises when said expert happens to be a paid endorser for one of the products.
The Federal Trade Commission, which has been cracking down on potentially misleading endorsements in advertising, said today that it had charged the home security giant ADT with misrepresenting paid endorsements as independent reviews. ADT set up three paid endorsers, one of whom calls herself “Safety Mom,” for appearances as independent experts on such as NBC’s “Today” in 2010 and 2011, according the FTC.
According to the complaint, ADT set up media interviews for its endorsers through a public relations firm and booking agents, often providing news outlets with suggested interview questions and b-roll video to accompany any coverage. ADT’s paid endorsers, who received more than $300,000 to promote a service called ADT Pulse, were billed as experts in child safety, home security or technology. Two of ADT’s endorsers also received a free ADT Pulse security system, along with free monthly monitoring.
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