NAD found that the “2x faster healing” claim was not supported and recommended its discontinuation. ASO agreed to comply with NAD’s recommendations.
New York, NY – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division has referred ASO LLC to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for failing to comply with its decision regarding advertising claims for its Hydrocolloid Gel Bandages.
In a prior National Advertising Division (NAD) case (Case #7325), Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (JJCI) challenged ASO’s hydrocolloid bandage claim of “2x faster healing.”
NAD found that the “2x faster healing” claim was not supported and recommended its discontinuation. ASO agreed to comply with NAD’s recommendations.
In January 2025, JJCI raised concerns about claims found on ASO’s product packaging and third-party retailer websites. NAD initiated a compliance proceeding to assess ASO’s adherence to the original decision and found that while ASO had taken some steps to remove the “2x faster healing” claim from online advertising, noncompliant claims persisted on product packaging and third-party retail websites.
ASO indicated that it would remove the claims from its packaging “upon depletion of current inventories” and that it had limited control over third-party retailer compliance. However, NAD determined that ASO did not make a bona fide good-faith effort to comply with its decision.
Specifically, NAD found:
- Third-Party Retailer Advertising: Despite removing some links, numerous non-compliant claims remained in product descriptions on third-party retailer websites. NAD recommended ASO expeditiously contact retailers to remove these claims and replace non-compliant images.
- Product Packaging: ASO’s plan to remove non-compliant claims only upon depletion of existing inventory was deemed insufficient. NAD emphasized that changes to product packaging should have commenced immediately following the initial decision. NAD also recommended exploring remedial measures, such as stickering, given the elapsed time.
- Lack of Communication: Despite multiple attempts, ASO failed to inform NAD about whether it would comply with its recommendations.
NAD emphasized that advertisers have an ongoing responsibility to ensure their advertising complies with NAD decisions, including monitoring third-party claims, and therefore, pursuant to NAD/NARB Procedures, NAD has referred the matter to the appropriate government agency, in this case the FTC.
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