The Blue Oval must stop making any claims about the new SUV.
There are rules in American advertising, contrary to what it may seem. On a complaint by FCA US (now Stellantis), the National Advertising Division of Better Business Bureau National Programs ruled that Ford could not label certain attributes regarding the 2021 Ford Bronco “best-in class.”
The National Advertising Division however stated that Ford should cease using the expression “engineered. . . For. . . segment-leading . . . The Bronco was marketed for its long-term off-road performance, dependability and durability. According to the group, the problem was that there were no comparable data from competitors or performance testing to support this claim.
FCA was unhappy with Ford’s claims of the “best-in class” 2021 Bronco, even though it was not yet available for sale. The National Advertising Division ruled it normal to make statements about a vehicle’s capabilities at a reveal. As long as the company is able to support what it is reporting on a new vehicle, this is acceptable.
The National Advertising Division examined the Bronco’s press release and media kits and found that some of their “best-in class” claims could have been applied to both the standard Bronco or the Bronco Sport. The agency requested that the Bronco Sport be clearly identified in the materials.
Another complaint was the use of the terms “projected” or “available” in marketing materials. These statements were not found to be misleading by the advertising watchdog. It recommended that Ford refrain from using them in the same claim as it could confuse consumers. The automaker had to clarify that horsepower and torque were ‘projected’ as pending SAE certification and that these figures are achieved using the identified available’ configurations.
Ford stated that it would follow the decisions of the National Advertising Division in a statement to them.