Marketing does not generally contain much truth in it which is known by most. Companies will often get in trouble for the statements they make about products in marketing. The Wall Street Journal reports that POM Wonderful LLC of Los Angeles, they make a pomegranate drink, is being prosecuted by the United States Federal Trade Commission. The FTC claims within the suit that POMx supplements and POM Wonderful juice have “false and unsubstantiated statements that their products will prevent or treat heart disease, prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.”
POM Wonderful has a lot against it because of the Federal Trade Commission
The WSJ argues that POM Wonderful products aren’t that bad. They have been “proven to fight for cardiovascular, prostate and erectile health,” supposedly. The Federal Trade Commission explains that having “17 percent improved blood flow” and a “30 percent decrease in arterial plaque” aren’t enough evidence to advertise that way. POM Wonderful makes statements that aren’t very legitimate. It states that “unprecedented scientific research,” is put into the products before advertising.
“Any consumer who sees POM Wonderful products as a silver bullet against disease has been misled,” is what David Vladeck said. He is the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
Suit filed against FTC by POM Wonderful
According to POM Wonderful, the FTC’s requirements are unreasonable. The FTC hadn’t even submitted the lawsuit when POM Wonderful said the requirements weren’t fair. POM Wonderful claims its free-speech rights within the First Amendment are being hurt because of the requirements. While the FTC hasn’t played the previous Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes card of falsely shouting “fire” in a crowded theater as an illustration of the limits of free speech, POM Wonderful’s wellness claims – if indeed the statements are unsubstantiated – do raise reasonable questions, thinking about their specificity. POM Wonderful put out some ads that were especially interesting. The ads stated that the only way to protect from prostate-specific antigens, or PSAs, was via drinking its pomegranate juice. These facts have to be proven scientifically before stating them. The WSJ reports that they weren’t proven. Consumers are expected to buy depending on unverified statements.
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Wall Street Journal
online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704654004575517871757238034.html?KEYWORDS=POM Wonderful
Protesting POM Wonderful’s animal testing (Warning: Some NSFW language is audible)
youtube.com/watch?v=htxIpHbl4lA
