BBB reviews claims in Serta's FireBlocker ads
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, October 18, 2005
New York — Responding to a challenge by Sealy, an arm of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has determined that Serta provided a reasonable basis for some claims it has made about its new fire-resistant FireBlocker bedding, but recommended that the company discontinue or modify several other claims.
In a press release, the National Advertising Division of the BBB, a self-regulatory forum for the advertising industry, said it looked at various claims in the Serta ads and determined that six were reasonable or appropriate, but six other claims or ads should be modified or discontinued.
Sealy brought the case to the NAD, the division said in a press release.
The release said that NAD concluded that Serta "provided a reasonable basis" for the following claims:
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A FireBlocker mattress "exceeds federal and state flammability standards" and that "only Serta has FireBlocker."
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"In fact, Serta is the first and only national brand to introduce an open-flame resistant system in the production of all its bedding nationwide."
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A fire chief testimonial that "products like fire-resistant mattresses, coupled with smoke detectors, can make a tremendous difference between life and death."
NAD also concluded that Serta provided a reasonable basis for its "FireBlocker" name. The division also determined that the visual depiction of California's fire-resistant mattress test in a TV ad and on its Web site was appropriate.
However, NAD recommended that the advertisement be modified to clearly and conspicuously disclose that the test was conducted under laboratory conditions and that the results depicted may or may not be typical of real-world fires.
On Serta's statement that, "Without FireBlocker technology, an unprotected mattress ignited by a small flame can easily become a roaring fire in less than three minutes," the NAD recommended that the claim be modified to clarify that the basis of comparison is between a mattress with FireBlocker technology and one without fire-resistant features.
Similarly, NAD concluded that a comparative claim to "your current mattress" be modified to specify that the basis of comparison is a mattress without FireBlocker technology or one without open-flame protection.
In addition, NAD said that Serta's claims that, "A Serta FireBlocker mattress assures valuable extra escape time," and "FireBlocker is a blend of ... fibers ... that block the spread of an open flame into the mattress," should be qualified to more appropriately reflect the technology and the evidence that Serta submitted.
The NAD also concluded that the evidence wasn't sufficient to support Serta's claim that "hundreds of children die in bedroom fires," and recommended that it be discontinued.
In a statement to NAD, Serta said it was pleased that the NAD agreed with the company on certain issues, has already made or plans to make the suggested modifications and will comply with NAD's full recommendations on future advertising.
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BBB responds to Serta FR ads
Oct 11, 2005
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