CARU Shoots PSA with Catherine Hicks and Siberian Films

CARU would like to send a special thank you out to Catherine Hicks for supporting CARU's mission and starring in our Public Service Campaign! We look forward to sharing the finished product with you soon! Thanks also to Siberian Films who came and shot the campaign for us!

Check out this behind-the-scenes slideshow!

CARU to speak at ACI's Advertising Law Conference on January 26th

On January 26, CARU Staff Attorney, Andra Dallas will be speaking at ACI’s Advertising Law Conference on a panel entitled, “Connecting Safely with Consumers via the Exploding Popularity of Social Networking Sites.”  

Andra will be joined by Andy Zaffron, General Counsel, Sony Online Entertainment; Addie Swartz, CEO, Beacon Street Girls; and Dana Lira, Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs, Warner Home Video.  

To receive a special discount, mention the code 823L10.S when registering!  Click Here to register.

CARU Prepares to Shoot Public Service Announcment in L.A. This Week!

CARU is pleased to announce that it will be shooting its Public Service Announcement to help spread awareness of the importance of children's safety on the internet.

The shoot will take place this week in Los Angeles. Catherine Hicks, from 7th Heaven and cult classic Peggy Sue Got Married, will be starring in the campaign in an effort to help CARU's mission. We will be shooting at Grapevine Studios, one of CARU's many valued supporters. CARU's director, and Emmy award winner, will be directing! Wish us luck! Break a leg, CARU staff!

CARU Speaks at Community Board in Manhattan

CARU staff attorney Andra Dallas gave a presentation to Community Board 1, serving lower Manhattan on Monday, December 7^th.  Andra spoke to the Board’s Youth Committee about the importance of teaching children about understanding advertising and safe online practices.  District Manager Noah Pfefferblit remarked, “thank you for your informative presentation to our Youth Committee members,” and offered the Board’s assistance if they “can be helpful to the important efforts at the Children's Advertising Review Unit.”

Are you interested in having a CARU staff member visit your community board? Contact adallas@caru.bbb.org.

CARU Participates in the Food Institute Webinar November 14th, 2009

 

On November 14th, 2009, Tina Poturica-O'Neill of CARU took part in a webinar hosted by the Food Institute entitled Advertising to Children: Successfully Meeting the Challenges.  Co-panelists included Elaine Kolish of The Children's Food and Beverage Initiative and John Feldman, Partner at Reed Smith.  This webinar, moderated by Dr. James Tillotson of Tufts University, provided guidelines to companies on how to create truthful, accurate and acceptable advertising directed to children.

CARU in the News! CARU Cites Skechers Ad as Too Cool for School

Image:Skechers

CARU was recently written up in the news on BNET for one of its recent cases with Skechers.

CARU was concerned that one reasonable takeaway message children may have after viewing the subject commercial is that wearing Skechers' Hy-Tops will make them popular. CARU’s Guidelines state in part that product presentation should not “mislead children about benefits from use of the product. Such benefits may include, but are not limited to, the acquisition of status, popularity … .”

Visit BNET to read more about this case.

CARU Attended the Promotional Marketing Association Conference 2009

Wayne Keeley and Andra Dallas participated in the PMA’s 31^st Annual Promotions Marketing Law Conference in Chicago, IL on November 5-6.  The conference had over 500 attendees from all over the world. Topics at the conference included the FTC’s Revised Endorsement Guides, Sweepstakes, Marketing to Children, and Behavior Advertising, in addition to many others.