Marc Ecko's Vanessa Hudgens Ad Cited for Misleading Kids

(MoneyWatch)  Marc Ecko's TV commercial for Red sneakers, starring singer Vanessa Hudgens, is misleading to children, according to the Children's Advertising Review Unit. CARU is an industry body that monitors children's marketing.

The commercial (video below), in which Hudgens and her crew are shown dancing in a neighborhood street, will give kids the impression that the sneakers light up in the dark, CARU said. The sneakers don't light up. Ecko licensee Skechers said it will appeal the ruling.

In the commercial, the laces and a jewel detail on the heel seem to be illuminated in the dark. The actual shoe doesn't light up and is shown in a non-illuminated state at the beginning and end of the 15-second spot. The commercial was shown on Nickelodeon's "Fairly Odd Parents" at 5 p.m.

If you view the video you'll notice it's a close call. Given that CARU decisions can eventually lead to entire campaigns being yanked, it's an interesting case because it shows how much money can ride on the small details of advertising.

The spot doesn't specifically claim that the sneakers glow in the dark, and although a special effect has been applied to highlight them it isn't clear if the effect is just for show or because the sneakers light up. CARU:

CARU determined that a child could reasonably take away the impression that the Reds do in fact light up.

Skechers argued that the ad did not target kids:

... the commercial and product are targeted primarily to teenagers and young adults.

That's a position only a lawyer could love -- "Fairly Odd Parents" is a show about a 10-year-old boy.

The stronger claim by Skerchers is that there are two shots that plainly do not show the shoes lighting up, and that the shots where the shoes are lit feature "a vapor trail, an obvious dramatization."

BNET's take: The problem with this ad is the staging -- it's shot at night in a dark street. There's no way of seeing the shoes in action without the digital lighting effect. Had the street been better illuminated (and yes, you can shoot a well-lit night-time scene) there would have been no need to fiddle with the appearance of the shoes, and no controversy with CARU ...