New York, NY, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), a division of BBB National Programs, launched an investigation into advertising for Just Play, LLC’s furReal Daisy the Yoga Goat. The investigation, prompted by CARU’s routine monitoring activities, seeks to determine if the toy’s product packaging and commercial advertisements comply with CARU’s Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children’s Advertising.
The Daisy the Yoga Goat toy is a goat plushie with, “super-soft plush gray fur, sparkly green eyes, a cute green head wrap, and lots of personality. The toy goat, “moves her head, swishes her tail, drinks from her play water bottle, and does downward dog and bird yoga poses.”
Of concern to CARU are claims made on the toy’s product packaging and in a 15 second commercial that may:
- Mislead children about what is included in the purchase of Daisy the Yoga Goat.
- Fail to make clear how to activate Daisy the Yoga Goat and use it as shown.
- Mislead children about Daisy the Yoga Goat’s features.
- Misrepresent that Daisy the Yoga Goat could perform in a manner that it cannot.
The CARU Guidelines provide that advertisements should not mislead children about what is included in the initial purchase, including clear disclosure about products shown in an ad that must be purchased separately.
CARU’s Guidelines also require that all material disclosures should be understandable to the children in the intended audience, taking into account their limited vocabularies and level of language skills, and should be easily noticeable and prominent so children are likely to see, hear, and understand them.
One reasonable takeaway message from the visual and audio elements of the advertising is that Daisy the Yoga Goat comes with a yoga mat and a water bottle. A second reasonable takeaway message is that Daisy the Yoga Goat’s movement and reactions are automatic.
CARU did not observe a visual or audio disclosure to make it clear to children that the yoga mat depicted in the advertising and product packaging is not included and determined that the advertisement misleads children about what is included in connection with the initial product purchase.
CARU also observed that the advertisement did not demonstrate how to activate Daisy the Yoga Goat. The advertising features a variety of Daisy the Yoga Goat’s sounds and reactions and shows an arrow that says, “Try Me” pointing towards the pink tag on Daisy the Yoga Goat’s back, which also says, “Try Me.”
The CARU Guidelines require that advertisers demonstrate the performance and use of a product in a way that can be duplicated by a child for whom the product is intended. Throughout the ad, Daisy the Yoga Goat’s movement and reactions are depicted as actions Daisy can independently perform when in reality they need to pet Daisy’s back to recreate scenes from the advertisement.
CARU determined that the advertisement created the misleading impression that the product can perform in a manner that it cannot.
In response to CARU’s recommendations, Just Play promptly removed the original FurReal Daisy the Yoga Goat ad wherever possible and reshot the ad to address CARU’s concerns, including:
- Adding a new segment that both shows and tells the consumer that Daisy needs to be touched to be activated.
- Adding a disclaimer that the yoga mat is not included.
- Ensured that the goat yoga mat is not shown in any of the new segments.
- Added the following verbal disclaimer: ‘yoga mat not included.’”
In its advertiser’s statement, Just Play stated that it “believes the revised advertisement better communicates to consumers how the product functions and what accessories they will receive with purchase.”
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About Children’s Advertising Review Unit: The Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU), a division of BBB National Programs and the nation’s first Safe Harbor Program under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), helps companies comply with laws and guidelines that protect children from deceptive or inappropriate advertising and ensure that, in an online environment, children's data is collected and handled responsibly. When advertising or data collection practices are misleading, inappropriate, or inconsistent with laws and guidelines, CARU seeks change through the voluntary cooperation of companies and where relevant, enforcement action.
About BBB National Programs: BBB National Programs, a non-profit organization, is the home of U.S. independent industry self-regulation, currently operating more than a dozen globally recognized programs that have been helping enhance consumer trust in business for more than 50 years. These programs provide third-party accountability and dispute resolution services that address existing and emerging industry issues, create a fairer playing field for businesses and a better experience for consumers. BBB National Programs continues to evolve its work and grow its impact by providing business guidance and fostering best practices in arenas such as advertising, child-and-teen-directed marketing, data privacy, dispute resolution, automobile warranty, technology, and emerging areas. To learn more, visit bbbprograms.org.
