It occurs to me that we are inundated daily with some truthful advertising, some near truth advertising, some stretched truth advertising, and finally, outright false advertising. By way of example, if we are to believe television advertising about automobile insurance, we have at least five companies that are number one. Obviously this can't be true, but all kinds of companies seem to skirt the edge of the Truth in Advertising laws that exist in order to portray themselves in a more positive light than is truthful.
I'd like to begin a project that digs out the real truth and reports it to consumers. When a company touts itself as the "best, number one, first rate, 5 star," or whatever superlative they use to describe themselves, I want to give the public an online place to visit to validate their claims.
We have websites that allow us to confirm the truth of wild stories or urban legends, but I can't find one that specifically addresses the policing of less than honest advertising. In many instances, the detective work necessary to uncover the problems with particular ads may be easy. For example, if a toothpaste ad says you'll have 52 percent fewer cavities. We can tackle that one by researching "52 percent fewer" than what other products. Maybe none.
The nuances used by advertising agencies is sometimes subtle and hidden, yet at other times it's openly wrong. Still, wouldn't it be nice to have the REAL truth?
So I leave this one up to you. If you're OK with the deluge of near truth advertising and you're smart enough to deduce which vehicle is truly rated number one, good for you. On the other hand, if you're curious about claims made by advertisers, then let's develop an Internet presence where people can go for real comparisons.
I look forward to your comments.....
