
Another One: TINA.org Calls Out DJ Khaled’s Undisclosed Alcohol Ads, Again
DJ Khaled is back to his old ways with his latest new drink alert.
When the FTC announced (with much fanfare) in May 2012 that it had reached a $40 million settlement with Skechers over the deceptive marketing of Skechers’ toning shoes, everyone ooed and aahed. The Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection for the FTC, David Vladeck, said at the press conference that, “[u]nfortunately for the millions of people who bought Skechers’ toning shoes, the only thing that got a workout was their wallet.”
News outlets and bloggers around the country gave the FTC just the headline it wanted:
As for Skechers, well it’s sitting pretty. The $40 million settlement with the FTC is part of a broader deal that, for an additional $5 million, will resolve all investigations of Skechers’ deceptive marketing practices of toning shoes in more than 40 states. As Skechers’ chief financial officer, David Weinberg, stated, “[w]hile we vigorously deny the allegations made in these legal proceedings and looked forward to vindicating these claims in court, Skechers could not ignore the exorbitant cost and endless distraction of several years spent defending multiple lawsuits in multiple courts across the country.”
Okay, so let’s see what the $45 million settlement got Skechers:
As for the “millions of people” that Mr. Vladeck said were deceived by Skechers’ ads and bought the toning shoes for up to $100? Well, if two million of you make a claim to get your money back, congratulations, you’ll each receive less than $20 a piece.
Perhaps the more appropriate headline for this story should have been, “Deceptive Advertising Pays Off For Skechers.”
DJ Khaled is back to his old ways with his latest new drink alert.
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