Who’s Throwing Flags on Super Bowl Advertisers?

It’s the one day of the year when instead of fast-forwarding through commercials, American households gather around the tube to be entertained by them. It’s Super Bowl XLVII and the real stars of 2013 may not be the Baltimore Ravens or San Francisco 49ers. In between the plays on the field, snack food, soda, autos and, of course, beer take center stage.

But what consumers don’t know is how often Super Bowl advertisers have been accused of false or deceptive marketing when marketing their brands.

Companies pay millions—the average cost for a commercial on CBS this go round is $3.8 million—to get their brands before a crowd of viewers that last year set a record of 113 million.

And that’s just advertising on the big day. Many companies have been revving up for months to create a buzz for their brands via social media, sneak previews, and viewer participation, inviting consumers, for example, to post photos of themselves in ads or vote for their favorite version of a commercial.

Super Bowl advertising pays off big for companies willing to drop a few million for 15 or 30 second spots.Commercials aired during the Super Bowl increase brand awareness by nearly 275 percent compared to when the ads runs during regular programming.

Yet, many of the companies had the truthfulness of their marketing questioned. An investigation by TINA.org found that at least 70 percent of advertisers who announced they are running commercials in this year’s Super Bowl have been accused of false or deceptive marketing within the last five years. The accusations have come from consumers in class-action lawsuits, federal regulators, advertising self-regulating boards, and competitors.

Here’s what some of your favorite brands have been accused of trying to get past you.