New York, NY March 5, 2003 – The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CBBB), the children's advertising industry's self-regulatory forum, is pleased to announce that Conair Corporation has discontinued a television advertisement for its Shiny Styles 4 in 1 Shiny Straight Waver (Shiny Styles) to comply with CARU's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising. The advertising came to CARU's attention through its routine monitoring activities during traditional children's viewing time. Television advertising on Nickelodeon, for Shiny Styles, a 120 volt hair straightener, showed adolescents, without adult supervision, using the product on themselves.

Not only does the product become very hot, like all electrical appliances that do not contain automatic shut off devices, the Shiny Styles can cause electric shock or, in some cases electrocution, when they come in contact with water. Neither the packaging nor the television advertising clearly disclosed that the product could be dangerous when used by unsupervised children. The product packaging failed to disclose warnings regarding the necessity of adult supervision or the dangers (electric shock, electrocution, burning) that the product presents.

Conair worked constructively with CARU on this matter, stating that although it believed the product is safe for use in accordance with its instructions, it did not intend that the television commercial would be targeted to "children", and that it contained appropriate warnings concerning safe use of the product.

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.