Watchdog calls Revlon's Almay campaign "false advertising"

Published: 21-May-2015

Complaint filed against 'made in USA' claims

Advertising watchdog truthinadvertising.org (TINA.org) has filed a complaint against Revlon in response to its Almay Simply American marketing campaign.

TINA.org said that more than 95% of Revlon’s Almay line of products sold on its website fail to meet the legal standard for a ‘Made in the USA’ claim. However, Almay’s campaign features patriotic symbolism, with the waving of American flags and a tie-in with American Idol winner Carrie Underwood.

Potentially causing confusion, TINA.org noted there are no disclaimers on Revlon’s website or in its commercials about the origins of its products. Most of Almay’s product labels say “Made in the USA with US and non-US components”, but it is unclear how much of the product is made up of foreign components.

Bonnie Patten, Executive Director at TINA.org, said: “Almay’s implied, unqualified claim that its cosmetics are made in the USA is false advertising. Its marketing is unfair to consumers and to companies whose products really are 100% made in the US.”

Revlon has denied that the campaign is deceptive and requested that TINA.org discontinues any further inquiry into the issue.

Zoe Schepps, PR Manager for Almay, said: “While we make no claims in our advertising beyond the style our products offer, Almay’s Simply American campaign complies with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rules regarding ‘Made in the USA’.

“We are proud of our American heritage and US-based operations. All of Almay’s products are formulated in our labs in Edison, New Jersey and 88% of our products are manufactured in our Oxford, North Carolina, plant.”

TINA.org has filed complaints with the FTC and the New York Attorney General.

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