Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- AT&T recently launched an ad campaign that uses the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division findings to criticize T-Mobile for “un-truths.”
- The NAD has ordered AT&T to remove the promotional material, which it says violates ad-industry rules.
- The carrier has now filed a complaint for declaratory relief against the self-regulatory body.
You may have caught the commercial by now, where AT&T uses Luke Wilson to talk about T-Mobile as a “master of breaking promises.” The commercial in question highlights the Un-Carrier’s deceptive ads and other transgressions. It’s maybe one of the most direct attacks AT&T has taken against a rival in a long time. Now AT&T is fighting for the right to keep its campaign up.
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Shortly after AT&T launched its new ad campaign, it was ordered to remove the promotional material by the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD). The problem is that the commercial and accompanying blog use information from the NAD’s findings to call T-Mobile out. As the NAD’s policies lay out, companies are “not to mischaracterize any decision, abstract or press release issued or use and/or disseminate such decision, abstract or press release for advertising and/or promotional purposes.” Simply put, in its attempt to pat itself on the back for its ethics, AT&T ended up breaking the rules.
However, it looks like AT&T disagrees that it has done anything wrong. The carrier has announced that it has filed a lawsuit to “defend the right to make truthful claims about T-Mobile’s deception.” In the suit, AT&T is seeking “declaratory relief against the NAD in response to its demands to remove our advertising and other messaging.”
“Some companies mislead customers; others stand up for them,” said AT&T COO Jeff McElfresh in the announcement. “We think all consumers deserve to hear the truth, even if it makes T-Mobile uncomfortable.”
Even if AT&T is just stating facts, the NAD’s policies appear to clearly state that its findings can’t be used for promotional purposes. As such, it seems like AT&T will have an uphill battle on its hands to keep its T-Mobile-bashing ad campaign going as is.
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