New York, NY February 11, 2003 – The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc. is pleased to announce that the H.J. Heinz Company (Heinz) has agreed to address concerns raised by CARU under its Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising. Heinz is currently running a promotion, the Bagel Bites Extreme Redeem Online Auction, that is targeted in part at the tween market.

Among CARU's concerns were the adequacy of disclosures with respect to the chances of winning Extreme Redeem Auction bids, and the advertising of a Teen-rated video game auction prize in media such as Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine. Heinz agreed to take responsive measures including increasing the prominence of advertising disclosures with respect to the chances of winning and ensuring that no T-rated game prize would be included in future advertising that appears in media directed to children.

CARU's inquiry was conducted under the NAD/NARB/CARU Procedures for Voluntary Self-Regulation of National Advertising. Details of the inquiry, CARU's decision and the advertiser's response will be included in the next NAD/CARU Case Report.

Members of the press who wish to see a copy of the decision now should email CARU.

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The National Advertising Review Council (NARC) was formed in 1971 by the Association of National Advertisers, Inc. (ANA), the American Association of Advertising Agencies, Inc. (AAAA), the American Advertising Federation, Inc. (AAF), and the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CBBB). Its purpose is to foster truth and accuracy in national advertising through voluntary self-regulation. NARC is the body that establishes the policies and procedures for the CBBB's National Advertising Division (NAD), the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU), and the National Advertising Review Board (NARB).

NAD and CARU are the investigative arms of the advertising industry's voluntary self-regulation program. Their casework results from competitive challenges from other advertisers, and also from self-monitoring traditional and new media, including the Internet. The National Advertising Review Board (NARB), the appeals body, is a peer group from which ad-hoc panels are selected to adjudicate those cases that are not resolved at the NAD/CARU level. This unique, self-regulatory system is funded entirely by the business community; CARU is financed by the children's advertising industry, while NAD/NARB's sole source of funding is derived from membership fees paid to the Council of Better Business Bureaus.