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Crazy Marketing Claims in Ads

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AnnPT77
AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
in Debate Club
It seems like they'll tell us anything to sell diet/exercise programs. Would anyone like to share some? Here are a couple of recent ones I saw online (I swear I didn't make these up):

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and

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Replies

  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,188 Member
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    The courts find these worthless disclaimer clauses are meritless.
    Defendant’s reliance on these ‘worthless’ disclaimers is worthless,” state court judge Arthur Engoron wrote in September,

    Crossing your fingers behind your back when speaking falsehoods does make everything okay. Though us Americans assume innocence until proven guilty, we still need caveat emptor...unless you have money for lawyers. 💲
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,188 Member
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    chris_in_cal wrote: »
    Crossing your fingers behind your back when speaking falsehoods does make everything okay.

    I missed a critical word "... does NOT make everything okay."
  • Melwillbehealthy
    Melwillbehealthy Posts: 882 Member
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    I just don’t get it. How do the advertisers get away with it? Oprah’s picture is often shown by the gummies. Makes me think she is endorsing the ad. My girlfriend was so influenced by it, she ordered the gummies online. She was highly disappointed the gummies didn’t work.🫤
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
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    Melwillbehealthy wrote: »
    I just don’t get it. How do the advertisers get away with it? Oprah’s picture is often shown by the gummies. Makes me think she is endorsing the ad. My girlfriend was so influenced by it, she ordered the gummies online. She was highly disappointed the gummies didn’t work.🫤

    The gummy ad above had Kelly Clarkson. We're meant to believe the celeb is endorsing the ad. I suspect it's just that the celeb's lawyers are behind in playing whack-a-mole, but that's a guess.

    Of course they don't work - certainly not as advertised, anyway.

    Yup, people are seeking the quick and easy solution, so fall for this kind of nonsense.

    (I'm not speaking directly to you, Melwillbehealthy, when I say this next - just a genuine comment about what I'd hoped from the thread.)

    I was hoping others might share some examples of the ridiculous claims they've seen so we could, oh, maybe make fun of them . . . as opposed to debating how advertisers get away with it or saying they shouldn't lie. But it's the debate forum, so anyone can post anything, on topic or semi-off, I guess.

    If it turns into another discussion about the general evils of the diet industry, especially the bottom-feeders in it, I'll probably delete the thread. There are plenty of previous discussions that cover that ground, seems like; but I hadn't seen any where we could post examples and maybe ridicule them to amp up some caveat emptor cheerleading hereabouts.
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,454 Member
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    Melwillbehealthy wrote: »
    I just don’t get it. How do the advertisers get away with it? Oprah’s picture is often shown by the gummies. Makes me think she is endorsing the ad. My girlfriend was so influenced by it, she ordered the gummies online. She was highly disappointed the gummies didn’t work.🫤

    The fact that "influencers" who have minimal, if any knowledge on the topic being discussed can change behaviors is a whole other issue.
  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 989 Member
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    Suckers are born every minute.

    In the instant gratification society, all play and no work it's no wonder these claims are making millions and helping no one but the investors! lol
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »

    I was hoping others might share some examples of the ridiculous claims they've seen so we could, oh, maybe make fun of them . . . as opposed to debating how advertisers get away with it, saying they shouldn't lie, or otherwise criticizing them. But it's the debate forum, so anyone can post anything, on topic or semi-off, I guess.

    If it turns into another discussion about the general evils of the diet industry, especially the bottom-feeders in it, I'll probably delete the thread. There are plenty of previous discussions that cover that ground, seems like; but I hadn't seen any where we could post examples and maybe ridicule them to amp up some "caveat emptor" cheerleading hereabouts.

  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,114 Member
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    Don't have pictures, but at the checkout line for the grocery store is a magazine rack while you wait, and every week are loud article titles about "Walk off 47lbs in 6 weeks" or the like.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,200 Member
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    nossmf wrote: »
    Don't have pictures, but at the checkout line for the grocery store is a magazine rack while you wait, and every week are loud article titles about "Walk off 47lbs in 6 weeks" or the like.

    Like this one, maybe? (This is old. They still look about like this, though.)

    h91c6ldxc5ip.jpg

    or this:

    ulygn4v7nkap.jpg

    Or these oddly gendered selections (that contained approximately - maybe exactly - the same exercises, as perceived from my quick flip-through, just with male vs. female photos, and some different text around them.

    ejbm931rdv0x.jpg

    Plus we have things like this, in the book section:

    074a99rhpzwr.jpg

    I've been amused (appalled?) by this sort of thing for a while. Some of these were posted by other people in threads with different theses.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,188 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'll probably delete the thread.

    What's this? I just looked at old threads I've created and don't see an ability to 'delete' a thread I created. How does one do this?

  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,365 Member
    edited February 12
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    chris_in_cal wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'll probably delete the thread.

    What's this? I just looked at old threads I've created and don't see an ability to 'delete' a thread I created. How does one do this?


    It's usually done by capturing a link to the thread and asking one of the mods to delete it for you.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,658 Member
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    Flag: Report: This is my thread and I want to delete it.
  • chris_in_cal
    chris_in_cal Posts: 2,188 Member
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    Re: Mods/Flags - Thanks.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,129 Member
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    This one doesn't have very crazy claims, but still ambitious: 1kg per week, and you get a free 'figure analysis' when you start out.

    But what the heck is that 'pod' in the picture, which presumably is how they their clients are supposed to lose weight?

    x3feuo9y0i3o.jpg
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,344 Member
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    I haven’t got the image of the ads but last year I saw a tonne of ads for leggings with caffeine in them. Supposed to magically make you lose weight and get rid of cellulite. The before pics were all unhappy women gesturing at their legs and tummies, then slim women beaming afterwards. The ads have stopped now so I’m guessing they got pulled for false advertising!
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,481 Member
    edited February 15
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    claireychn074 wrote: »
    I haven’t got the image of the ads but last year I saw a tonne of ads for leggings with caffeine in them. Supposed to magically make you lose weight and get rid of cellulite. The before pics were all unhappy women gesturing at their legs and tummies, then slim women beaming afterwards. The ads have stopped now so I’m guessing they got pulled for false advertising!

    Whaaaaaat? Caffeine infused leggings?! Soooo many questions and most too rude to ask here! What happens when you wash them? When you sweat, where does the caffeine go? What does it do then? What if you cat sits in your lap? Your kid? Your SO? Can it be like a viagra reaction and potentially entail a visit to hospital? WHAT IF YOU WEAR THEM COMMANDO?

    My favorite of all time is the African weight loss belly beads. They’re all over the internet but Etsy has the market captured.
    ap0anksq3wgf.jpeg

    That lead me this:
    bbusi0vsmbig.jpeg

    All that time in the weight room, wasted, when I coulda been training the easy way. 🤬
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 7,481 Member
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    I get a ton of absolutely ridiculous weight loss articles suggested by Apple News. Apparently, one of the biggest sources is some hair stylist magazine. No idea how that one got on my feed. That, and all kinds of faux articles which end up just containing links to buy stuff.

    Apple News is the least newsy news outlet there is.

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