back to article Posh frockers Lord & Taylor spanked after Instagram fillies shocker

Fashion retailer Lord & Taylor has been slapped on the wrist by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for paying people to post pictures wearing one of its dresses without disclosing the fact. Back in March last year, the company paid 50 online fashion "influencers" between $1,000 and $4,000 to wear a dress it sent them and …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Would this be illegal elsewhere?

    I read about the UK advertising standards slapping down companies for making claims that are not only legal but widely accepted as normal in the US, but I was surprised to see this is illegal in the US. I'd much rather enforce laws against false advertising than laws against astroturfing.

    1. Ole Juul

      Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

      "I'd much rather enforce laws against false advertising than laws against astroturfing."

      False advertising is never likely to be enforceable. You're supposed to know that if you buy that new car advertised with the two sexy ladies that the ladies are not included. Did you want to see a disclaimer on the ads?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

        They enforce it in the UK, on stuff that would be (and is) totally ignored in the US.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

          You should see what they get away with in Spain. One milk advert claims it will help the intellectual development of your child and Danone just manage to stop short of claiming their products will cure cancer, they will cure everything else. However the best one is for self regulation of advertisers which obviously claims self regulation works and adverts are truthful.

          1. ElectricRook
            WTF?

            Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

            "One milk advert claims it will help the intellectual development of your child"

            but real milk will boost the intellectual development of your child, so what's your beef?

      2. Pompous Git Silver badge

        Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

        You're supposed to know that if you buy that new car advertised with the two sexy ladies that the ladies are not included.

        Please, tell me that's not true. What's the point of winning the lottery and buying a car that makes you look like an utter twat if you don't get to play with the accessories? Gutted I am...

        1. Midnight

          Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

          At least you can still buy a Jaguar...

          http://minglemediamarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Crazy-People-Jaguar.jpg

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

          The cars that come with two sexy ladies aren't advertised. At least I've never seen an ad for Ferrari or Lamborghini.

      3. Kurt Meyer

        Re: Would this be illegal elsewhere?

        @Ole Juul "You're supposed to know that if you buy that new car advertised with the two sexy ladies that the ladies are not included."

        Ole, everyone knows the sexy ladies aren't included with the car. They will, however, flock to you after you purchase the car. The same is true of beer, aftershave lotion, razors, cologne, clothing, and many other fine products.

        I don't expect you to take my word for this, but I'm telling you, I saw it on the television!

  2. Graham Marsden
    WTF?

    Slapped on the wrist? Hardly!

    it will be prohibited from carrying out such misrepresentations in the future and will require people it has paid to display its goods to clearly disclose the fact. [...]

    The FTC did not impose a fine

    This is barely a stern telling off, it's just a finger-wagging.

    1. Michael Thibault

      Re: Slapped on the wrist? Hardly!

      'Guilty. But we'll let you off if you never, never, ever do it again. OK?'

      What response will be engendered by requiring that the stooges publicly admit, in appropriate context, to having whored their on-line personas to a commercial enterprise?

      'OMFG! Easy money! Ker-fucking-ching! Sign me up.'

      As for: "Companies are going to have to be much more careful and/or honest in future if they don't want the FTC knocking at their doors.", let me FTFY:

      'Companies are going to have to be much more careful and/or honest in future if they don't want the FTC polishing their door knockers.'

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Pint

    Posh frockers

    Great strap line. Someone had three Weetabix this morning.

  4. an ominous mass

    For $4k, what the hell I'll wear a frock for a photo.

    Will borrow some lipstick even...

    After that well it's just a jump to the left and a step to the right ?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "For $4k, what the hell I'll wear a frock for a photo.

      Will borrow some lipstick even...

      After that well it's just a jump to the left and a step to the right ?"

      Dr Scott, Jad, Branett. You have no right to make me giggle uncontrollably and misspell people's names. You'll need the mind bleach if I reminisce any further here.

    2. a_yank_lurker

      Have to up vote for Dr Frankenfurter

    3. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      "Don't dream it - be it!"

  5. Herby

    Fine print

    "Paid model" at the bottom of the pic. Probably in such small print that you can't easily see it.

    Look aren't all pictures some sort of paid thing. Give me a break.

    1. P. Lee

      Re: Fine print

      >"Paid model" at the bottom of the pic.

      Some CSS mixup made it white-on-white...

  6. a_yank_lurker

    Issue?

    The issue is not the ads but the implication that the people had bought the clothing.

  7. Alistair
    Windows

    Wait, forbidden from doing so in the future???

    Uhhhhhh didn't they GET here as it was forbidden in the FIRST frocking place?

    (and they brung their knees in tight)

  8. skeptical i
    Facepalm

    Someone is going out of their way to post details about a product ...

    ... and anyone still assumes there was not some kind of quid-pro-quo going on? Such naivete is almost touching.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    People buy clothes based on who else wears them

    Some people are sheep. Colour me surprised that advertising works on some idiots.

    1. Darryl

      Re: People buy clothes based on who else wears them

      Clothes, phones, hair products, cars, colourful headphones, shoes, etc. etc.

    2. 's water music

      Re: People buy clothes based on who else wears them

      I almost always do this.

      Rule 1 Don't attempt to buy clothes that someone else is already wearing. They are likely not for sale anyway

      Rule 2 Always prefer clothes that someone else hasn't worn already. If they have been worn insist on washing as a condition of sale

      simples

  10. Nick Davey

    Native advertisements.....

    or naive advertisements? Odd what the removal of a single letter can do.

  11. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

    Maybe I'm just old and cynical...

    ...but my default assumption would be that everything posted on Instagram by an 'online influencer' is astroturfing unless explicitly stated otherwise. And even then, I'd still be suspicious.

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Re: Maybe I'm just old and cynical...

      oh, and that dress is nasty.

  12. x 7

    if I buy the dress do I get the girl wearing it?

    1. Pompous Git Silver badge

      if I buy the dress do I get the girl wearing it?

      No. But I do suggest you don't let the missus catch you wearing it :-)

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like