New York, NY-August 27, 2003. The Children's Advertising Review Unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CARU) is pleased to announce that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (Wal-Mart) has agreed to work with CARU with respect to the advertising of Teen-rated video games. CARU's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising state, in part: "In advertising…interactive software, advertisers should take care that only those which are age-appropriate are advertised to children." Wal-Mart has agreed that it will not place commercials for T-rated games in programming where 35% or more of the audience is made up of persons 12 years of age or younger.

A Wal-Mart commercial for a T-rated game had appeared on Cartoon Network during programming which attracted a large audience of pre-teen children (46% of viewers were younger than 12 according to recent demographics). A T-rating, according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), indicates that the content "may be suitable for persons ages 13 and older." Wal-Mart had relied on Cartoon Network's clearance procedures for T-rated games in placing the spot. In addition, Wal-Mart noted that the ESRB has not formally adopted any specific audience composition standards for determining where T-rated game commercials are acceptable.

But, to help ensure that such advertising is placed only where it is age-appropriate, Wal-Mart has instructed its advertising agencies to abide by a 35% standard in the placement of future T-rated game commercials. CARU stated that this advertising policy effectively addresses its concerns.

CARU's inquiry was conducted under 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.