New York, NY - July 28, 2004. The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc. (CBBB) is pleased to announce that the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (Wrigley) has cooperated with CARU in connection with online sweepstakes advertising. The promotion, which appeared on the Website for Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape gum, raised concerns under CARU's Self-Regulatory Guidelines for Children's Advertising with respect to the adequacy of the disclosure in connection with the alternate means of entry.

The Web page which described the prize structure of the sweepstakes contained the following promotional heading: "RULE THE RIDES! Over 6,000 Prizes! LOOK INSIDE SPECIALLY MARKED PACKAGES OF HUBBA BUBBA BUBBLE TAPE TO SEE IF YOU WIN!" Further down the page was a link: "click here to read the rules." If a viewer clicked that link, he would learn that no purchase is necessary, and if that individual scrolled down through the rules, he would find the information related to how to obtain a free game piece.

Wrigley modified the Website by adding prominent language: "No purchase necessary." Directly beneath this statement, Wrigley added a link: "Click here for details." When a viewer clicks that link, the information regarding how to get a free game piece is now clearly visible without having to scroll down through the official rules.

In a statement, Wrigley said, "We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work closely with CARU in the process of addressing their concerns. While we understand and acknowledge that communication of the Alternative Means of Entry should be legible and prominent, we believed that our advertising complied with this requirement. Nonetheless, in support of this process, we have agreed to modify our website and to incorporate their concerns into our future print ads."

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 at elascoutx@caru.bbb.org

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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.