Cablevision Forces Verizon to Modify Ad Claims for FiOS

(MoneyWatch)  As cable and satellite TV systems carve up the country for TV, internet and phone service, sometimes the battle comes down to the details. That's what the National Advertising Division found when it ruled in a dispute between Cablevision and Verizon Tuesday, forcing Verizon to stop advertising some claims for its FiOS service.

Verizon had been claiming that with FiOS, "Channels came on quicker," and "the colors were more vivid," which, now that you look at it in the cold light of day, sounds like a load of rubbish on its face. These claims were unsupported by evidence, NAD found. Verizon begrudgingly agreed to "take into consideration" NAD's findings, which is client-speak for "we won't do this again, if only to avoid the legal bills."

Verizon can take some comfort from the fact that NAD agreed with many of its ad claims. The ruling states:

NAD found that the advertiser's head-to-head testing provided a reasonable basis for its claims, "you can really see the difference between cable and FiOS" picture quality, and "the picture was clearer." NAD observed that the advertiser's testing specifically asked the participants which television offered a clearer picture. NAD noted that the advertiser's head-to-head test asked the participants which television had the "best picture quality" and which offered the "better sound quality. In both instances, the majority preferred the advertiser's service.

The ruling doesn't name the ad agency responsible (a flaw in NAD's process, IMHO). But McCann Erickson produced this ad with Michael Bay for the brand earlier this year.