A Verizon commercial saying it was offering a Google Pixel 10 Pro for free with any plan has been dropped, and so has the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD) review of the commercial’s claims.
A Fast-Track SWIFT challenge was brought by AT&T about the Verizon advertising. Fast-Track SWIFT is an expedited process for single-issue advertising cases reviewed by the NAD.
AT&T’s complaint centered around the Verizon’s Using A.I. advertisement. The company’s Google Pixel 10 Pro commercial included the implied claim that Verizon offers a free Google Pixel 10 Pro with any Verizon plan, but the commercial’s disclosures did not inform consumers that the offer was only for Verizon Unlimited Ultimate customers.
During the inquiry, Verizon informed NAD that the commercial advertising the phone was permanently discontinued. Therefore, NAD did not review the claims on their merits and will treat the discontinued claims, for compliance purposes, as though the NAD recommended they be discontinued.
It was the second time Verizon had dropped a commercial during an inquiry.
In June, T-Mobile made a complaint about Verizon’s marketing messages to the NAD. The NAD ruled that, while some of the satellite texting claims made in the Verizon advertising at the time held up, others should have their disclosures modified.
NAD concluded that Verizon had provided a reasonable basis for “Verizon Satellite Powered” and “Verizon is conquering dead zones with satellite,” messages, but suggested in future advertising that the carrier ensure that any accompanying disclosures describing the availability of the satellite texting features be clear and conspicuous.
NAD also found the Verizon advertising phrase “largest network” to be ambiguous, because it could mean different things to different customers (e.g., largest in terms of coverage or largest in terms of total customers). The term “postpaid phone connections” was also unclear, according to NAD, so it wants the disclosure modified to be clearer.
During the inquiry, Verizon informed NAD that its advertising has permanently discontinued the implied claims relating to satellite-supported texting over its own wireless network infrastructure.
